Winding Path
by Zetta
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition... Yes, it's alive! Updated and edited 1125! PreOotP
1. Prologue

**REWRITTEN**: Prologue as of Mar. 22, 2003.  
**NEW**: Chapter Five as of Mar. 22, 2003.

**...Winding Path...**

**By:** Zetta  
**Summary: **James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
**Characters: **James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Explanation for Delay:** Frustrated with the way that this was starting out, I decided I had to re-write parts of this before I could continue. It's taken me nearly two months to reach that conclusion, and those were two long months in which I almost completely left the Harry Potter fanfiction world. It was partially because of the wonderful work of Lavender in her Falling Trilogy that I dragged myself back into this world. (Plug: ). Thank you Kyli. :o)  
**Explanation for why: **I'm not sure how much I'm going to re-write or how much I'm going to edit, but I know for certain that this first part is going to be *totally* different in terms of how I'm writing it, though the basic idea will remain the same. I'm also looking for title suggestions- I'm not particularly like this one.   
**Miscellaneous Notes: **I've been getting a lot of comments on LILY AND SYBIL'S FRIENDSHIP and how it turns out that Sybil isn't exactly all buddy-buddy with Harry. I know this. I'm working on making the relationship between Lily and Sybil and the rest of them something that would build up to that. It's not easy, but I'm trying very hard. I would appreciate any and all comments and suggestions on it, but yes, I KNOW IT'S A WEIRD IDEA and you may not think it works- but if I can get it written properly, it WILL WORK OUT! Trust me!  
Please let me know if there is something wrong in the story. I'm going through a rather tough time with college, and so I can't say that I'm dedicating every waking moment to finding errors in this story. So, if you see something wrong (or just weird!), let me know!!

_Prologue_

"A man's dying is more the survivors' affair than his own."  
Thomas Mann

All things considered, the Auror Offices in London were pretty nice. Each Auror had their own office- or shared one, if they chose- that had a desk, a chair, a nice comfortable couch for the many overnighters they would pull, and access to one of the best cafeterias in all of Britain. They also had one of the fanciest gathering rooms of all government employees, and it was there that they regularly gathered, waiting for their next assignment.

James Potter, an Auror of only a few years, was seated in that gathering room along with several other Aurors, listening to the Wizarding Wireless commentate the Puddlemere United and Chudley Cannons pre-season scrimmage.

James sat in one of the over-sized chairs near the door, and his best friend Sirius Black sat to his right on the end of a couch. Also with them were Frank Longbottom and David Albion. "My money's on Puddlemere," Sirius said with a satisfied smirk. "As always."

Puddlemere was leading by a good fifty points, and their Seeker was considered the best in the league. 

"That could have been you," Sirius said as the commentator enthusiastically told of yet another goal by one of Puddlemere's Chasers, sending them up another ten points.

James smiled lazily. "And miss out on the thrilling action of be an Auror? I think not." He sat back and indulged in imagining what it would have been like if he had chosen to play Quidditch- Puddlemere and Montrose had both offered him a spot on the team, but he had declined in favor of following in his father's footsteps and becoming an Auror.

His father was working his way up in the Ministry, having started there when he was about twenty. Currently, he headed up the Department of Defense, and was, indirectly, James's boss. James glanced over at Sirius again. "I hope it's over soon," he said. "I'm due over for Tiff's birthday right after the shift. You going to drop by when you're done?"

Sirius nodded, a grin on his face. "You should see the thing I got her. It's a huge unicorn thing that talks and stuff- it's great!"

"Let me guess," James said with a wry smile. "Perfect size for a four year old to ride?"

Sirius shrugged. "Would I give your baby sister something dangerous like that?"

James laughed. "Mum'll kill you, and Dad'll love it. Tiffany will too. For some reason, she thinks you walk on water."

Sirius shrugged. "She's a smart little brat." He sighed. "I can't wait until your mum lets us take her to a Quidditch match. Uncle Sirius and big brother Jimmy'll really be her favorites then."

"What'd you get Michael for his birthday?" Frank asked, referring to James's nephew, who was a month older than his sister.

Sirius laughed. "Me and James went in on a broom for him, and we're teaching him how to ride it."

Frank and David exchanged amused looks. "Will either of you bother teaching your kids to walk, or just give them brooms from day one?"

James opened his mouth to deliver a witty reply, but was cut off when David yelped and turned up the Wireless.

"-Puddlemere's Seeker is right behind him! Jackobson's reaching... he's reaching, he's almost got- Got it! The Cannons win! The Cannons win! The final score, 100 to 190! What a game!"

David laughed. "And that'll be some gold from you, gentlemen," he declared.

Sirius groaned. "Cheating son of a-"

"Assignment!" someone called from the hallway. Sirius cut himself off and turned off the Wireless. David stood and tossed powder into the fire, then stepped back as a man appeared. A half a dozen other Aurors hurried into the room, positioning themselves so they could all see.

"Go ahead," David said to the man in the fire. "Give us your name and address, and everything you can tell us about what's happening."

The man in the fireplace looked oddly familiar to James, but he couldn't place him. "There's Death Eaters attacking us across the street!" the man said, visibly shaking. His voice cracked. "I-I heard screaming. I don't know who it was, but there all over there today. There's a lot of them. My-my wife saw them first. There might be a fire."

"What's your name, sir, and where are you at?"

"I-I'm Robert Mildewing," the man said in a shaking voice.

James started, and suddenly, a memory went through him, one of his mother, two weeks ago, looking up from the pot she was stirring on the stove. _Did you meet the new neighbors, James? They moved into the house across the street last week. Rose and Robert Mildewing, I think. They seem quite nice. They've got a daughter who's about your age, very pretty, and I think you'd like her-_

James bolted to his feet. "Pencourt?" he asked, and Sirius stood as well. "Pencort, in Carlisle?"

The man nodded a little. "101 Penc-"

James was running before the man had finished.

"That's his house-" Sirius started, but James didn't hear the rest as he ran for the nearest door. Apparation was impossible from within any Ministry building, except in special areas.

"James!" someone shouted, but he didn't stop, and threw open the first set of doors he came across that led outside.

His wand was already in his hands and he disapparated in an instant, arriving in front of his own house less than a second later.

It was almost completely dark. No one was around. 

The only light came from the cruelly bright green skull in the sky, a serpent winding its way out of the mouth, taunting anyone who looked at it.

James took off running for the door- the apparation field was about twenty meters from the house, in case there was ever an attack of some kind, it would allow warning and increase the chance of escape-

The door was wide open, and glass was on the floor.

He felt nausea grip him and stepped inside, the shards breaking beneath his boots. A pop sounded behind him, and he spared a glance only long enough to see that Sirius had arrived. Then he turned his attention back to the house before him. The lights were all out, and furniture was toppled.

A bright colored teddy bear was in the middle of the hallway, abandoned alongside two more dolls, one of which he recognized as something he'd given his sister Maria for her birthday last March...

Fear had him hurrying back to the kitchen, back to the room he knew they would go to if there was ever danger.

The kitchen was dark. "Lumos," Sirius commanded as he entered behind James.

The light was enough to reveal two house-elves lying unmoving on the floor- and the door that led to the basement hiding place wide open.

"Lumos," James commanded, and his voice cracked just saying that.

Several pops were heard out front, and James knew the other Aurors had arrived.

Sirius at his back, he went to the door that led to the basement.

At the bottom of the stairs, unmoving, was his father. He was facedown and his wand was still in his hand.

"Dad?" he called hoarsely. "Anyone?"

No answer. He went down the stairs, dread in his heart... for good reason.

Further down the steps, he was able to see the rest of the basement.

His brother was on his back near the couch, his eyes open as he stared up at the ceiling. 

His brother was to his right, his wand out, but having rolled a few feet away from him.

His sister-in-law and nephew were behind him, little Michael still clutching a ragged blanket that had never been far from him.

His mother was slumped over the unmoving bodies of his sisters, her last attempt to protect them having failed. He could not see her face, but the open eyes of his sister Maria seemed to follow him as he slowly stumbled down the rest of the steps.

He couldn't breath right, and he couldn't hear anything, though he knew Sirius was speaking, and had put his hand on his arm, and was holding him back from going to his mother's side-

A movement from behind him caught his attention, and he watched in disbelieving silence as his co-workers rushed into the room, spreading out to go to the various bodies about the room.

Sirius was speaking, trying to get him to sit down, but James couldn't bring himself to listen.

Slowly, he knelt down by his father, and his hands shook as he reached to feel his neck, hoping beyond all hopes that he would feel a sign of life, but knowing that he wouldn't.

Sirius was beside him, and James slowly looked at him. Sirius was white-faced and he looked as stunned as James felt.

James stood up again and looked around slowly.

The other Aurors in the room couldn't meet his gaze, but he didn't notice. His eyes landed on his mother and sisters, but he couldn't bring himself to go to their sides. 

Someone touched his shoulder and then stepped around to where he could see him.

It was Moody, one of the Head Aurors. "Potter," he said, and his voice was sharp enough that this time, James heard him. He nodded numbly. Moody gripped his arm and forced him to turn away, and pushed him towards the stairs. "Go sit down, boy," he said, and his voice was oddly soft. "Black, Longbottom, go with him."

Each step up the stairs was like lifting a lead foot, and it felt incredibly hard to move.

He didn't know how he got there, but he found himself in his father's study, standing in front of the window and staring out at the crowd that had gathered on his lawn.

Someone called his name, and he turned to see who it was. Remus and Peter were there, Remus looking like death warmed over. The thought almost made James laugh, but he couldn't manage it. Death warmed over.

Well, he would certainly have something to compare it to, now!

Remus and Sirius were bringing him over to sit down in a chair, and he wondered why everyone looked so worried about him.

More time passed, and someone brought them tea- James saw Sirius adding a bit of something extra to his, but couldn't taste it when he sipped from the big mug that had been his father's. 

More time passed, and people came and went. James found himself standing in front of the window again when everyone had left his side for a moment, and he watched as stretchers were carried out, bodies with sheets pulled over them being carefully disapparated to somewhere. Probably the morgue in the center of Carlisle, he thought with strange detachment.

Unaware that he was being watched, one of the Aurors stepped back from the crowd, wiping at tears. James wondered how a man who had not even known them could be crying, while he, their son and brother and uncle, could not.

Then he was sitting again, Sirius and Remus on either side, and Peter to Sirius's left, and Moody was entering, and met his gaze with soft eyes, so very unlike his normal. "I'm sorry, James," he said, and it was odd, because James couldn't remember Moody ever calling him by his first name before.

And then Moody told James that he had to go to the city and confirm the identity of the bodies, and Sirius said he would do it, but James said that he would...

And somehow, he found himself and Sirius disapparating to the morgue at the hospital, where he'd been dozens of times before, and walking down the halls, and then looking at the bodies of his family as they lay on cold metal trays...

Like so many others he'd seen before.

It was that sight that broke him, and as he looked down at his mother's face, white and lifeless, he suddenly felt overcome, and stumbled back. Sirius led him out of the room, also crying, and in the hallway of the the morgue, James wept, his best friend the only thing holding him up.

*__*__*__*__*__*__*__*

The following week was a blur. Through it all, James slept little and ate less. He stayed in his parents' house, and Sirius, Remus, and Peter moved in with him for that week, helping him. 

The worst of it, aside from dealing with the grief, was planning the funerals.

How, exactly, could you go about planning the funeral of seven people, all of whom he had loved dearly? 

It took two long days to make all of the calls that were necessary just to inform everyone of their deaths. Most people reacted with disbelief- no one could believe that the entire Potter family, save one, had been massacred without any warning. The disbelief would be a quick protest, and then a long silence as the truth sank in. Then, the request for information on the funerals, and the offer of condolences.

Flowers arrived by the truckload, and the funeral parlor that had been selected had to stop accepting deliveries. James had all the extras sent to the hospital for the patients who were still alive to see the blooms.

The head of every major Ministry department called or came by to offer condolences. Neighbors and family friends brought food to the house, all with teary eyes and pale faces.

The Potters had been a well loved family.

After the initial breakdown, he felt rather numb. He was in no hurry to get rid of that feeling- there was too much that had to be done.

The family solicitor had to be met with, his parents' will read, and then his brother and sister-in-law's. 

He inherited everything, and was advised to let the two estates sit for a few months before he made any major changes.

As per the wishes of his family, all were to be buried in the family plot at one of the older cemeteries in Carlisle. One of the most awful moments for him came when he realized that it was expected that he would be a paulbearer- of which one? he wondered, and had to fight not to laugh hysterically. In the end, it was decided that he would not walk as a paulbearer for any, and a memorial service would be held with the burial being a private affair for only the dearest friends...

The memorial was five days after the murders. Hundreds of people turned out, friends and neighbors, co-workers and old schoolmates, politicians, and the media.

Sirius spoke with some of the Aurors who James had worked with, and soon word was out that all media people were to be kept away from James- no matter what.

Later, James would think about it and be grateful, but during that time, he didn't notice.

Eulogies were offered by the Minister of Magic who had gone to school with James' father and was an old friend, one of David's best friends, Albus Dumbledore, and James himself.

Remus had always been good with words, and had helped him write the eulogy. It was fairly short and to the point, and James threw away his copy of it once he was done because he could not bear to look at it.

Four days after that, and nine days after the murders, James went back to work.

*__*__*__*__*__*__*__*

"...wake up! James, wake up!"

His eyes flew open and for a long moment, he stared at Sirius, who's hand was on his shoulder, and eyes were dark with concern. "You all right?" Sirius asked, slowly straightening.

James sat up, pushing the blanket off of himself and then grabbing his glasses off of the table near the couch and slipping them on. "I'm fine," he muttered groggily, though he was unable to clear the horrific images from his mind. Images that had haunted him since that night, almost a month ago... Four days short of a month, actually, he thought.

His eyes flickered over the office and he found the clock on the wall, and the time surprised him a little. He'd only meant to lay down for a few minutes... It was an hour and a half later. "What's up?" he asked.

Sirius was frowning, clearly worried. "You were, uh, talking in your sleep. I woke you up when I heard... Well, it didn't sound like a good dream, so I woke you up." He shifted, looking uncomfortable in addition to worried.

James looked down for a moment, and then stood up, shaking off the last dregs of sleep. He crossed the room and went into the bathroom, leaving the door open and taking off his glasses, then flipping on the faucet. Cool water rushed out, and he cupped his hands and splashed his face, massaging his eyes and wondering why he had to dream at all. The world wouldn't be so awful without dreams, would it?

Sirius stood in the doorway, watching him. "How bad?"

James grabbed a towel off the rack and dried his face methodically before he replaced the towel again, folding it neatly. He looked at Sirius for a moment. "Every time I close my eyes, I think it gets worse." He put his glasses back on again and went out into the office, buttoning up his shirt all the way and pulling his tie on again. 

A week ago he had confessed to Sirius that he didn't think he could do his job any longer. Every time he stepped out to chase after a Death Eater, he was reminded of that night... It made him hesitate, and that was something he couldn't afford to do in a job like this. Hesitation could mean the difference between life and death for someone, and James was not comfortable with continuing on as a risk to his co-workers and friends, and the innocent people that they were supposed to protect.

He shrugged a little, and knotted the tie with efficiency that came from doing it nearly every day since he had been eleven, then turned to look at his best friend. "I talked to Moody today."

Sirius nodded and sat down on the couch. "He mentioned it. Have you considered what you're going to do next?"

James sat down on the couch next to Sirius and sat back, running his hands through his hair and sighing. "I haven't decided." He had more than enough money to do whatever he wanted, with his inheritance and all, but he wasn't sure if he could stand the tedious boredom of doing nothing. "Moody offered me a year's leave of absence. He said that if I want the job back between now and a year, I can have it. If not, that's fine too."

"I thought you were going to try for a little longer," Sirius observed, tilting his head to the side.

James shook his head a little. "Not after last night."

They both fell silent, unconsiously exchanging identical grim looks as they remembered:

Another raid, this one just as gruesome, only this time, for a different Auror. He'd lost his pregnant wife and aged father.

James rubbed his eyes again, wondering how the world could be so twisted as to allow such things to happen.

"Potter," a gruff voice said sharply.

James and Sirius both looked towards the door, and stood up. "Yes, sir?" James asked.

"Dumbledore's on the Floo for ya," Moody growled, leaning against the door frame. "'E's got a proposition fer ya, I'd suspect. Consider it."

He offered no further hints, but turned and limped away.

Curiously wary, James went over to the fireplace and threw powder in.

A moment passed, and then the Headmaster's head popped up. "Hello, Mr. Potter, Mr. Black."

"Hello, Professor," James said politely. "How can I help you?"

Dumbledore gave him a cheery smile. "Alastor has informed me that you are taking some time off," he said.

James nodded slightly, frowning, and glanced back at Sirius, who crossed his arms and frowned.

Dumbledore smiled pleasantly. "It seems that we've run out of Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers again, and you seem to be out of a job... Would you be at all interested in going back to Hogwarts?"

Notes: Not a fun chapter to write, I'll tell you. :( I cried my way through it, and I hope that didn't mess up the writing of it.  
Interested in hearing any comments about the writing in general, grammatical errors, and what you think of James and Sirius, and the little glimpses you get of them. Am I showing they're really close, but not slashy close? Is there something else Sirius should have done, or James should have done? The scene at the morgue, I want to get the image across that they're embracing, Sirius really supporting James, but I'm not sure I've done that quite right. That part is supposed to be the point where everything hits James, and I want people to realize he gets *slammed* by everything.

Next chapter rewrite/edit thing will be out eventually- I don't know how much I'm actually going to rewrite, and how much is just editing. I think this chapter will be the one that gets the most done to it, but I'm not sure. 

Comments and suggestions welcome!  
And don't forget that I've also posted chapter five!!

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews!!


	2. Chapter One

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
Characters: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
Rating: PG-13  
This Chapter you get to meet one of my new fav. characters, the Potions Professor! Hope you like her too! :o)  
Anyone looking for a Beta-Reader swap? I'll beta yours, if you'll do mine?

_Chapter One_

If Lily Evans hadn't been Muggle-born, she and Sybil Trelawney would never have been friends.

At the start of their seven years at Hogwarts, each of them had been something of an outcast. Lily, who no one knew, was not trusted by anyone because Muggle-borns were still something of an unwelcome rarity. Sybil no one trusted because she had already discovered Divination, and walked around in a dreamy state, sprouting off random predictions for the future, some true, others so far fetched that it was amazing she wasn't beaten up any time she opened her mouth. 

The two had been thrown together in Herbology, one of the two classes they shared. Everyone else had partnered up quickly, and they had been stuck together. It had happened again in their flying class, when they were supposed to be practicing with a partner. 

After a few days, they got over their wariness of each other, and began to talk to each other, and from that, their friendship grew.

Even as the years past and people grew more familiar with the two girls, no one would have ever suspected that they were best friends. They were very, very different, and no one could imagine what they had in common.

Lily had been small from the first day of her life, and it never changed. She was short, tiny, and had long red hair that stood out for miles. She was practical and intelligent, and had always studied regularly and achieved great grades. She dressed in boring clothes, and even on the weekends usually stuck with the uniform: plain skirt, blouse, sweater, tie, robe, and sensible shoes.

Sybil was very tall and slender, to the point of being twiggish. Her head was nearly always in the clouds, and the only class she excelled at was Divination, though she also did well in Astonomy and the Study of Ancient Runes, which were both somewhat related to Divination. She was very intelligent, but had the common sense of gnat and the social skills of a Flobberworm. She often refused to wear the uniforms, citing the skirts as being too binding and short, and the sweaters as being stifling and scratchy. She wore long, flowing clothes, and in her younger days, had nearly driven the staff mad with her ramblings.

But their differences had been pushed aside by necessity, and by the time the rest of the school had figured out that they- or at least Lily- were not as bad as they'd previously thought, the two girls were friends forever.

Two years after graduation, nothing but their ages and positions in the school had changed. They'd gone from being teenage prefects to twenty-year-old professors.

The previous year had been their first teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and both were perfectly content to continue teaching for as long as they could. 

Lily taught Muggle Studies down by the Transfiguration and Dark Arts rooms, and Sybil taught Divination up in the North Tower.

The two who had taught before them had been a married couple, and had retired after Lily and Sybil had graduated, leaving the opening for them that was quite perfect, as they had vowed that they would do their best to stick close to each other until they either got married or died, whichever came first.

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, had quite agreed that they would fill the positions perfectly, and had offered them the job immediately upon hearing of it.

Lily's private rooms were located up above her classroom, and she spent much of her time in them, working hard on the next lesson plan, and reading. 

She was an early riser, and, with one day left before the start of term, she'd already been back for a week, had plotted out the lesson plan for the first month, barring any incidents, and was relaxing by reading a Muggle novel she'd bought before catching the train to Hogsmeade.

When the clock informed her that it was seven thirty, she marked her page and set out for the Great Hall, which she knew would be full of teachers who wanted to hear the Headmaster's plans for the Dark Arts position. 

Therefore, she was not surprised to find Dumbledore, McGonagall, and the other House Heads already there, along with a few of the other teachers. "Good morning," she said cordially. 

"Good morning to you, Lily," Albus Dumbledore said cheerily. "Do try the biscuits this morning. The House Elves have out done themselves."

Lily grinned and took her seat a few places down from him, in between Sybil's spot and the place the Dark Arts teacher would sit. Taura Sinastra sat on Sybil's other side, and was one of the only other staff members within a few years of Lily's age. "You just missed it," she informed her as Lily took a plate and grabbed a biscuit. "Albus has announced the Dark Arts teacher."

"An acquaintance of yours," Minerva McGonagall added from her seat down the table, looking quite pleased.

"Per chance was this person in Gryffindor?" Lily guessed, figuring that that would be the only reason McGonagall was so happy.

"Your Head Boy," Arabella Figg, Potions professor, said from down the table. She snorted. "That wretch was always getting in trouble in my class."

"James Potter?" Lily said, surprised. "I always thought he was more of a Transfiguration person."

McGonagall sobered. "So had I. But, Potters always have been. Few of them ever really did anything with it though, which is a tragedy. I can remember James's father..." She shook her head a bit, giving a soft sigh. "No matter though. I had always hoped that James would take an interest. For a while, I had though he would, but towards the end of his fourth year, his interest had ended again."

"He became an Auror, correct?" Arabella Figg wondered, her voice raspy from age and smoking a pack of cigarettes nearly every day of her eighty plus years of life. "Until that son-of-a-bitch killed his family. Just a month ago, too. No wonder the boy needs a break. All death and destruction that is, and doubly so now days. Worse than Grindelwald, that bastard is."

No one was surprised to hear that sort of language from Arabella-she'd always been a bit.. er, vocal- but her words brought an even more somber note to the breakfasters, who had already been sobered by the reminder of the deaths of the Potter family.

Albus waved his hand and the pitcher flew up to fill his cup, and then Minerva and Arabella's cups, which were next to his.

"Thank you," Minerva murmured.

Albus smiled in response, but kept his attention on the conversation around him. "After much thought," he stated carefully. "I decided that our students could use practice with curses and the like." He speared a piece of fruit and cut it carefully. "Mr. Potter was looking for a break, and he seemed quite perfect for the position."

"Certainly," Minerva McGonagall agreed. "It will be quite nice to see him back, too. Though I do hope he's realized that his pranks are not appropriate for a professor to play."

"You don't fancy having everyone's hair changing colors?" Fulton Flitwick chuckled. "As I recall, he was quite good at those sorts of charms. Dyed the whole school, he did, didn't he? Best show of school spirit we ever had!" Flitwick laughed again, and nearly fell off his stool.

Taura glanced at Lily with a bemused smile. "He didn't dye your hair though, did he?"

Lily grinned a bit, fingering her long red locks as she remembered it. "Not a bit. He seemed quite pleased that he wouldn't have to."

Of course, she'd been rather annoyed, but he'd cheerfully informed her that her hair was quite red enough, thank you very much, and he'd decided to save the dye for another student, another day.

"You were the only one he didn't get," Taura remembered. "He even got his little friends. I always though he fancied you a bit."

Lily laughed, but McGonagall scowled. "I still don't know how they did it," she admitted. "I searched their room countless times for a cloak or something... Worst thing I ever saw was a parchment that spat out insults. They were very good at hiding..."

Arabella Figg snorted. "Oh, I'd bet Galleons that that parchment of theirs did more than that, Minerva. Those boys were clever, and I'm certain there was something else to it. I found that on Black a number of times, and he wouldn't carry it around for fun when he could spit out insults faster than any parchment, any day."

Lily bit her lower lip to hide a smile. She knew exactly what "parchment" they were talking about. She'd seen it one day when James had fallen asleep while doing Head Student business, and he'd left it open to the map part.

"I'd always 'spected 'e'd be a Quidditch play'r," Corwin Falkner, the appropriately ancient Ancient Runes professor, grunted, then took a bite of toast. "'e was quite good as I r'call."

"He got a letter from Puddlemere," Lily contributed. "Towards the end of our seventh year, I remember him telling me."

"The Wasps sent someone out here to see him play, too," McGonagall remembered, smirking proudly. "And the Cannons as well."

Arabella Figg stabbed a sausage. "Fat lot o' good it did," she muttered. "Boy goes off to be an Auror instead."

"Wasted talent," Madam Hooch agreed sadly. She'd been very quiet all morning. She was a very shy young woman, only a year or so older than Taura, and she'd been a Hufflepuff. She was the Flying Teacher, and worked in Hogsmeade when she wasn't teaching the first years. "I've never seen anyone with so much natural talent on a broom..."

The staff fell quiet for a moment. 

"We could use someone around here to liven things up," Arabella stated firmly, apparently having had enough of the silence. "It'll be good to have him back. And I'd bet ya' another Galleon that his little friends will be around as well. When's the boy due here, Albus?"

"Yesterday," Dumbledore said with a pleasant smile. "He owled to inform me that he was running late, but I'd suspect that he and Mr. Black should arrive some time today."

"Black too?" Minerva sighed. "They were monsters when they were together."

"Remus was quite nice," Lily murmured. "I always felt so sorry for him, with his condition and-" She slapped her hand over her mouth, horrified, and stared at her plate.

McGonagall looked uneasily at Lily, as did most of the rest of the staff, all of whom knew about Lupin's secret. 

"And how did you find out?" Dumbledore asked curiously, his blue eyes twinkling. 

Lily sighed. "James was supposed to be meeting me one night during sixth year, and he didn't show up. I found Pettigrew, asked him where James was, and he said he was walking Remus to see the nurse. It was, of course, the full moon, and I started watching him, and it was a fairly easy thing to notice."

"For four boys who prided themselves on their secrets," McGonagall complained. "They certainly were rubbish at keeping them!"

Lily grinned. 

The conversation slowly turned to other matters, and once the attention was diverted, Taura slid over into Sybil's seat. "So," she said, a mischievous smile on her face. "As I recall, Potter was rather attractive. Do you think he's against older women?"

Lily laughed. "I'm sure you'll try to find out, won't you?"

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

"I already knew he would return," Sybil murmured dreamily as she, Lily, and Taura walked down the halls towards the teacher's lounge about two hours later. They were having a start of term meeting in a few minutes. "I saw it in my crystal ball."

"And overheard us discussing it," Taura muttered. She did not believe in Divination, and Taura and Sybil were almost constantly arguing over it.

Sybil ignored her this time. "I do not see him lasting long," she said. "In March, something quite dreadful will happen."

"Of course he won't be here long," Taura agreed. "Everyone knows that that position is cursed."

Lily fought back the urge to either roll her eyes or laugh. She believed in Divination, a little bit, but she was never quite sure about Sybil... it was rather impossible to tell her that though, as Sybil was her best friend. But honestly, it wasn't hard to get a few predictions right when she was so bloody vague!

They were just entering the foyer of the castle when the doors opened, and two men cloaked in black entered, two trunks floating behind them.

"It's bloody cold out there," one complained, and threw back his hood, shaking the rain off of him. Lily smiled. Sirius Black. So the other had to be-

James Potter drew back his hood as well. "We're only a bit late," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Lily stared for a moment. He looked awful. His eyes were dark and his skin was pale. Even just seeing his face, she could tell that he'd lost weight and wasn't sleeping very well. "Wouldn't be so late if you'd get over your damned fear of Flooing."

"Well, so sorry," Sirius grumbled, looking far better than his friend. 

"Hello, sirs," said one of the house elves, who had just appeared out of nowhere. It looked up at the two men. "May we be taking your things, Mr. James and Mr. Sirius?"

"Blinky," Sirius said with a grin. "Good to see you."

The house-elf blushed. "Is very good to see yous, sirs."

A few more popped out. "We's putting your things in your room," Blinky said. 

"Thank you," said James.

"Anytime, sirs," said the elf. It waved at the trunks and they disappeared. 

So did the house elves.

Apparently used to such behavior, the two wizards looked back at each other.

"What time did Albus tell you to get here?" Sirius asked. "If we're _so_ late."

"Yesterday," James answered in a mildly annoyed tone. "Around noon."

"We're not that late then," Sirius said, giving him a satisfied nod. "We did call and let him know we'd be delayed."

"Not by a full bloody day," James said. "When I talked to him last night-" He stopped abruptly, his eyes finally falling on the three witches. A ghost of smile crossed his face, further proof that he'd changed. Lily had run into him a year ago, and he'd grabbed her and danced around the bookstore with her, much to her embarrassment. He opened his mouth to greet them, but Sirius spoke first.

"Now," Sirius said grandly, giving the three a shrewd look. "I understand."

"Understand what?" Taura asked, grinning at him.

"Why James took this job," Sirius answered. He pushed James forward and the two moved further in the foyer, and closer to the witches. "You all look bloody fantastic," he said cheerily. 

"Still oozing charm, eh, Black?" Taura teased, allowing him to take her hand.

James snorted. "That's not all he oozes," he muttered. He kissed Taura on the cheek as Sirius moved on to Sybil. "'Ello, Professor," he greeted her.

"I'm only two years older than you," Taura reminded him with a smile. "And you'll be teaching here. It's Taura."

James nodded. "Yes, ma'am." At her look, he smiled slightly. "Taura, I mean."

He greeted Sybil next, and then turned to Lily. "Hello, Ms. Evans. You look quite lovely this morning." 

"Don't worry," Sirius interjected, having finished with his greetings. "He won't be offended if you don't return the compliment." 

"Sod off, Sirius," James said, not sounding surprised or hurt by the comment. He didn't smile either, but Lily had the feeling he hadn't smiled much in a long time.

"Well, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black," another voice said, this one raspy and old.

"Professor Figg," Sirius said with false enthusiasm as he turned around. "You look absolutely... absolutely the same. And Minnie!" The older woman scowled at him. "The years have been quite kind... What _did_ you do to your hair? Looks lovely," he added hastily as McGonagall gave him an annoyed look.

She and Arabella crossed the foyer towards them. "We heard voices, and came to investigate," McGonagall continued.

"We were hoping to trounce the intruders," Arabella said with a straight face.

James nodded. "I'm sure you'd have kicked our arses, mam."

"Damn straight."

James's lips twitched.

"It's good to see you boys," Minerva said. She caught James's hand and patted it. "I was so sorry to hear about your parents and family. Maggie and Dax were wonderful people, and I'll always remember what a monster your brother was while he was here. I shall miss them terribly."

James lost the glimmer of a smile he'd had. "Thank you," he said. "They always spoke well of you, though I confess that on the one or two occasions I was suspended or nearly expelled, I had a difficult time understanding why."

Minerva gave him a fond, sad smile. "How are you handling it?"

Lily took in the circles under his eyes and the grimness that seemed to seep from him, and decided that she didn't need to ask how well he was doing. It was obvious.

Arabella apparently agreed. She made a disgusted noise. "How do you think he's handling it, Minerva? He's a Potter, so he's strong, and he'll get better, and that's all we can ask of him. Now leave the boy alone. He's got enough on his plate to deal with without blithering ninnies like you pestering him about it. Come along, Potter. Humor an old woman and forget about that bastard who did it for a while. Pretend to be interested in my cat stories, will you?"

Minerva scowled, Sirius fought a grin, and the three women exchanged amused looks.

And James smiled and took Arabella's arm to escort her to the lounge.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The teacher's lounge was just a short distance from Dumbledore's office. It was crowded with comfortable chairs, tables, a rather extensive library, and doorways that lead to various rooms about the castle.

Each teacher had a favorite seat, James knew, and they stuck with it every time they were in the room.

The plush leather chair near the fireplace was Dumbledore's, and seated near him were the elder professors, and McGonagall, who was still a spring chicken in comparison to people like Kettleburn, Falkner, Figg and Flitwick.

Taura Sinastra and Sybil Trelawney sat on a small couch towards the center of the group, and Lily sat on a chair between him and them.

Dumbledore was not in the lounge until ten minutes after he'd requested their presence. "I apologize for my tardiness," he said as he entered. "Ah. I see that our newest educator has arrived."

"Hello, Professor," James said, nodding towards him.

"Howdy, Al," Sirius said with a cheeky grin.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "And Mr. Black. Accompanied James here, did you?"

"Of course, sir," Sirius said. "Wasn't sure you lot would recognize him without me, you know."

James rolled his eyes and sat back. 

Dumbledore took his seat. "Quite wise of you. I trust you had no trouble finding this room?"

"We brought them here," Arabella said. "But I'm sure they could have found their way without the slightest trouble." She snorted. "Boys must have been in here dozens of times to play some damned prank."

"Fourteen," Sirius said solemnly. "Though we debated leaving you a going away present, Remus insisted upon being sensible, and therefore, we did not have the opportunity to enter fifteen times."

"Excellent," Albus said. The room quieted, and he lost his smile. "Now, I'm afraid, we must go on with business."

A little surprised by the Headmaster's somewhat solemn manor, the staff quieted immediately, bracing themselves for bad news. "I have just received word from the Minister," Dumbledore said. "The Mallory family was attacked last night. Both children were killed, as were their parents."

James felt a wave of icy cold rush through him, and he glanced at Sirius, then looked back at his hands. 

"Several of the parents have requested that the Hogwarts Express be accompanied by a few staff members tomorrow, for fear that worse shall happen. I have agreed."

"Wise of you, Albus," Arabella announced. "Voldemort would like nothing more than to end this school and hurt you, and it's about time you started thinking about that wretched train ride." She scowled at the staff. "Well? Who'll volunteer? I'd do it, but I'm old, and I have no desire to sit on a train for eight hours with those wretches."

"I always knew she hated kids," Sirius murmured to James.

Figg's eyes found him at once. "Excellent of you to volunteer, Mr. Black. Mr. Potter, will you join him?"

Sirius scowled. "There's no one better than you at getting volunteers, is there?"

"I'll do it," Taura said. "James needs the time to get ready for his classes, don't you think?"

"True," the old woman admitted grudgingly, but her eyes had yet to lift from Sirius. "I always liked you, boy. Smart as a whip. Shame you never applied yourself in Potions."

Sirius shrugged. "Potions are for Slytherins, mam, and no offense, but I will never, ever be like them."

The Head of Slytherin cackled, completely unoffended. "You took that approach too, did you Potter?"

James gave Sirius a pointed look. "I didn't have much choice." Before she could ensnare him in further lecture, he looked back at the Headmaster. "I've prepared my lessons already. I'll go with them on the train."

Arabella snorted and gave them a twisted grin. "Lily? Sybil? One of you join him."

"I must gaze into my crystal ball," Sybil murmured. "The stars are aligned quite perfectly, and Jupiter is nearing-"

"I'll go," Lily said quickly, giving Sybil a quick smile. She had no desire to hear Sybil go on and on, and knew that Minerva and Taura had almost no patience for it. And she highly doubted that Sirius Black and James Potter would tolerate it either. 

"Very well then," Albus said, pleased. "Now. We must discuss Hogsmeade weekends."

"I'm all for getting rid of them," Arabella said with a scowl. "The little brats come back from that bloody joke store and disrupt class for a week afterwards."

"I think he meant he was looking for the chaperones," Minerva McGonagall said with a tired sigh.

Arabella snorted. "And if we got rid of the things, we wouldn't need chaperones, would we?"

"I'll do it," Lily said, hiding her grin. 

"So shall I," said Taura.

"Sybil?" Lily asked softly, as the other teachers looked at each other.

"What's it involve?" James asked.

"You simply go to town and stay there until six o'clock, then help usher the students back to the castle," Minerva explained. 

"I'll do it then," James agreed.

"I see myself there..." Sybil murmured, her eyes closed. "Twice. Once in fall, once in spring."

Dumbledore was clearly pleased. "Excellent. The students shall, of course, arrive tomorrow evening. Those of you who shall be joining the students on the train may Floo from my office at about ten o'clock."

"Sounds good," said Taura.

The teachers discussed a few further plans for the year, and were then dismissed to prepare for the students that would arrive the next day. 

Next Chapter will involve a bit of the train ride and the first day of school, and I'm not sure when it'll be up. (I've already got it written, but I'd like some criticism on the first two chapters before I get too far along and can't change things.)

Much thanks to my reviewers and those who've placed me on their favorites lists: I love you!  
**Koneko**- Glad it looks promising. Hope it remains promising still! This was a hard chapter to write! (Well, to end anyway. I liked how most of it turned out, it's just the ending that still needs a bit of tweaking. But I got frustrated and couldn't get it better.) Hope you still like!  
**OriginalProxy**- Glad you didn't have to go all Grammar-Nazi on me- feel free to do it if I slip up!  
**mogliecat**- The outcome of his new job is in the works... It'll be less sad for James as the fic goes on, don't worry!**  
Jemi Fal**- Hope this chap remains interesting!**  
Amanda**- Continuing on...! **  
Quack Quack 88**- Lol, I do suck at writing little kids, I agree. But I think that's the last we'll see of Tiffany, I think. She was only meant to be in the dream, and she was supposed to be kind of... weird. I wanted people to realize that something was very wrong with what was going on, and therefore, she got to act weird-ish. As to the age differences, perhaps I'll come up with a reason for that in a future chapter. It seems normal to me- I know a lot of people who waited ten, fifteen years before having another kid. Thanks though! I appreciate the criticism!  
**thistlemeg**-Of course Lily will come in! :o) (See above chapter.)  
**Manatees 'R' Us**- Another one who felt bad for James... Don't worry, it'll get better soon!  
**Scarlett*eyes**- You almost cried? I felt bad when I was writing it, but I didn't realize it was _that_ sad! lol! Thanks!  
**Atlantis Forester**- Glad you liked, and nice wordage. I feel special if it's "eye-catching". :o)

Places to visit for more fanfic:  
My ff.net profile thing: http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=154516  
The Chalkboard: http://www.sphosting.com/chalkboard/

I'm especially interested in opinions on Sybil Trelawney and Arabella Figg. More on Sybil will come later, including a possible romance, and an explanation for why she's a complete whacko in the future. :o)  
**BETA READER WANTED!   
I AM WILLING TO SWAP SERVICES!**   
Plllleeeeeeeaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeee!  
Drop me an e-mail and I'll let you know what I'm looking for: zettazofia@yahoo.com


	3. Chapter Two

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
Characters: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
Rating: PG-13  
The train ride (which is more the setting for a sirius Sirius and James conversation than anything) and a glimpse at what sort of teacher Professor Potter might end up being... (It's a mostly James-ish chapter, but that's okay, 'cuz he's the wounded hero, right? :o)

_Chapter Two_

The four took the Floo to Platform 9 and 3/4, then split up to help students get on the train. 

Lily stepped out to help the Muggle-borns, and Taura directed them around from the inside.

James had thrown on his black cape with the Auror emblem on it, and he and Sirius offered assurances to worried parents. They were a lot less worried when they realized he was to be teaching that year, and no, Dumbledore had not been so worried that he called in Aurors to guard the train.

Sirius glared at nearly every Slytherin who walked by. "It's a good thing you're not a teacher," James observed. 

Sirius snorted. "I'd make a fabulous teacher, and you know it, Potter."

"If you say so," James said, giving him a look that indicated that he did not believe that. 

Sirius missed it, staring at someone behind James. James turned.

"Isn't that Lucius Malfoy?" Sirius murmured, all humor gone from his voice.

James nodded slightly, stiffly. It was rumored that Malfoy had been one of the ones that had attacked his family. "What's he doing here?"

Sirius shrugged, but the answer came when a stunningly pretty blonde girl sauntered over to him wearing Slytherin colors.

"Narcissa Pontellier," Sirius said coldly. "Luci's betrothed. I believe she's a seventh year. Slytherin."

"No surprise there," James observed. "Would he even look at a woman who wasn't a cold-blooded snake like he is?"

Sirius snorted. "I don't suppose you'd consider giving her a detention of cleaning up something wretched? Bat shit perhaps? Without magic?"

James smiled faintly. "I have no desire to spend any more time with her than necessary. As tempting as it may be, it would not be wise, as I've promised to be fair to all of the students."

"Hrm. Here comes Evans. Must be about time to round them up. She's gotten to be a rather pretty thing, hasn't she?"

James gave Sirius a patient look. "Come up for Christmas. I'll put in a good word for you."

Sirius suddenly looked uncertain, and looked away.

"What is it?" James asked, frowning. "Spit it out."

Sirius hesitated. "Actually... Well, I was thinking of getting a place up there, in Hogsmeade. So, ya' know, I might already be up here for Christmas."

James stared. "Why?"

Sirius still avoided looking directly at him, and shrugged. "Why not?"

"For starters, it's too far from the Ministry for you to Apparate or ride a broom every day, so you'd have to Floo. You hate the Floo."

Sirius shrugged. "I miss Hogwarts. I could deal."

James scowled. "Padfoot-"

"I'm worried about you," Sirius said gruffly, looking embarrassed. He stared at the platform they were standing on. "I'm not trying to overreact or make things worse, but Jim, I've known you all my life, and I've never seen you like this. And to be frank, I don't think you should be off on your own."

A little embarrassed too, James avoided eye contact as well, looking over the crowd of students. "I think Albus would say something if I started to get bad," James said uncomfortably. "And certainly Arabella would. The woman doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut on a normal day, much less when it's important." He crossed his arms, looking the other way. "I think the worst of it's over."

Sirius didn't seem to be entirely convinced, and James thought he caught a bit of hurt in his voice when he spoke next. "It was just a thought." Sirius said, shrugging.

They looked at each other.

James studied him very carefully. "Of course, if you did rent a place up here, we might be able to convince Moony and Wormtail to come a-visiting. Not to mention, Taura seems quite interested in you."

Sirius relaxed and grinned. "There is that," he agreed. "All right, old chap. I'll do it. But only because you're insisting so much, and I don't want to see you bawling if I don't."

The train whistle blew and James made a grand gesture towards the steps to the compartment they'd already selected. "Shall we?"

Sirius gave him a grin and led the way. "You know, mate, perhaps it's just me, but you're looking better already."

"It must be your charming personality," James said with a grin in response. And then, to let Sirius know how much he appreciated what he was going to do without further embarrassing them, he clapped him on the back. "So, what's striking your fancy today, muggles or the stars?"

Sirius laughed and glanced out the window at the two women who were making their way towards the train, and smirked. "Oh, I'd say I'm good for either one."

James laughed too.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Lily flipped through the pages of the Dark Arts book James had highlighted. "They're going to be very busy," she observed, not at all offended by that idea. 

Taura wasn't either. "After the last two years, they need to be."

"Why, were the last ones as bad as McKinley, back in sixth year?" Sirius asked. He had been a Death Eater, and had nearly killed thirty people during one of his Gryffindor/Ravenclaw sessions.

"Worse," Lily said with a small frown. "At least with McKinley we learned never to drink potions that smell like dirty socks. One of the students told me that all they did last year was count the number of times the teacher said 'duh'."

"So first thing tomorrow, you go in and say 'duh'." Sirius decided.

"There'd be a revolt." Taura said with a smirk. 

James sat back, stretching his legs out in front of him. "I'm trying to figure out how to do it, actually."

"Do what?" Taura asked, giving him a sexy grin. "I'm sure I could help..."

"Introduce myself and all that."

Lily laughed at that. "I wouldn't worry too much," she said with a grin. "I don't think they've forgotten you."

"We're infamous," Sirius agreed cheerily.

Taura grinned. "I don't think you realize how much truth there is in that statement. I can't think of many girls who were in your year that weren't falling over one of you boys, and damn near every male was jealous over your standing on the Quidditch Pitch."

Sirius looked at Lily, grinning. "Were you one of the young ladies in question?"

She grinned back, shaking her head. "Not for either of you. For your friend, Lupin."

James smirked and held out his hand.

Sirius sighed and fished out a galleon. "We knew you liked someone," he explained. "We just bet on who."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I should probably yell at you."

"Don't waste your time," James advised. "It won't help."

"Which is why I won't bother." Lily sighed.

"Now," Sirius said with a grin. "How should Jim greet them? I'm thinking a nice explosion should do the trick."

Wisely, the other three ignored him, and the two women teamed up to try and help James.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

There were no surprises on the rest of the trip, nor were there any at the Sorting Ceremony, which took place at Hogwarts later that night.

The meal was, as always, fantastic, and the staff waited around for the students to finish up their meal.

Once that was done, Sirius took his leave, exchanging a long (but very manly) embrace with James, and telling him that he'd be up soon to look for a place in Hogsmeade.

After that, the teachers all dispersed to their own rooms, scattered throughout the castle.

James, much to his shock upon waking in the morning, slept easily.

He was too nervous to bother with a big breakfast, so he slipped down to the kitchens to visit with the house-elves and get something small. While there, he got an idea and also requested enough pastries for his students in time for next week's classes.

After that was taken care of, he returned to his classroom and pulled his invisibility cloak on, and sat down to wait for his students to arrive.

Within five minutes of class time, all but two were there. The two that were missing were the Prefects though, and James knew that their tardiness was excused because they were handing out schedules.

He did not reveal himself, even after the start of class came.

The students quickly grew restless, and he watched as several began chatting about the latest gossip, a few talked about him, and a few of the boys chatted about how attractive some of their professors were.

He did not reveal himself until a fight looked about ready to break out between a Gryffindor boy and a Slytherin.

When he drew back the hood, several people gasped, drawing attention to him.

He didn't look up as he slipped the rest of the way out of it and began neatly folding it. "Mr. Weasley and Mr. Goyle. Take your seats."

The two immediately sat down, though they still glared at each other.

He picked up the student list and marked the two tardies, then looked up over his class. "Good morning."

Bill Weasley grinned at him. "Morning, Jim. I mean, professor."

James shrugged. "So long as Professor McGonagall doesn't hear you, you may call me James, if you prefer. But when she's around, or any of the others, it's Professor Potter."

"Cool," said one boy.

"P. P. for short, right sir?" said another with a grin.

James ignored him. "So. Someone want to tell me what class we're in?"

They looked at each other nervously, wondering, perhaps, why he needed to ask them that. "Ah, Defense Against the Dark Arts, sir," said one student.

James nodded and looked back at the rest of the class. "Right, Defense Against the Dark Arts. DADA to those of you who are too lazy to say it out. There are several aspects of Dark Arts that are important enough to be discussed. From what I've heard, you studied basic curses, and basic Dark creatures, and then spent two years with poor teachers. Hopefully, I won't be your third." Several students nodded in agreement. James slid off the desk and began pacing. "Something which teachers always seemed to neglect to explain to me...what, exactly, are the Dark Arts? Anyone?"

"Magic used for evil?" a girl offered.

"To hurt people?" said another.

"Creatures that hurt people," said a Slytherin.

James nodded a little. "True... But, what kind of creatures? What kind of magic?"

"Anything that's not human." said one Slytherin.

"The Unforgivable Curses." a Gryffindor boy quietly suggested.

"Curses that strictly cause people pain." a girl decided.

"Be more specific," James demanded. "The Unforgivable, yes, and we'll go over those more later. But what are the Dark Arts? Give me some examples." He waved his wand at the chalkboard, and a piece of chalk rose up and began writing, in his handwriting, "The Unforgivable Curses".

"Like, the creatures and stuff?" a girl asked uncertainly.

James nodded. "Like, the creatures and stuff," he said patiently.

"Kappas," said a boy.

"Dragons."

"Um... Chimaeras!"

"Ghouls."

"Giants."

"Gnomes."

"Goblins,"

"Stop looking from the book," James scolded with a small grin. He waved his wand, and all the books shut.

"Lethifolds!" a boy exclaimed after a long moment.

A silence fell.

"Anything else?" James asked patiently.

No one raised their hand or called out.

James waved his wand at the board again, and with a bright white flash, a list of more magical beasts appeared.

"How about some more curses? Anything aside from those three?"

The students began listing them, some of which James thought were rather far from the Dark list, but he continued to let the chalk list them until the students ran out.

James waved his wand again, and the chalk drew a line down the center of the board. "What are some other magical beasts that are not considered Dark?"

"Fairies and mermaids."

"Flobberworms!"

The class giggled at that. They were the farthest things from dangerous that anyone could imagine.

"Puffskeins."

"Snidgets," said a Quidditch player.

"Ramoras."

"Porlocks,"

"Horklumps."

The chalk settled back onto its little ledge as the class fell quiet, apparently out of ideas.

Again, James waved his wand and added to the list. "I'll assume you can figure out a few good curses, right? Waddiwasi? Wingardium Leviosa? Now, what is the difference between these two lists?"

A Slytherin boy rolled his eyes and explained to the rest of the class with exaggerated impatience. "Those are dangerous, those aren't."

James nodded slightly. "So, anyone who uses those curses, or uses those beasts, they're Dark, right?"

Most students nodded. James shook his head. "Wrong. In 1939, the Dark Wizard Gridelwald was rising. The Aurors were sent out to fight against him and his army. They failed time and time again because the curses that were available to them were not strong enough to be of any use. A good ol' tickling curse doesn't do much good for an Auror who is trying to dodge the Killing Curse, correct?" A few nervous giggles. James sat down on the edge of his desk again. "After Professor Dumbledore defeated him using legal curses, the Aurors had a conference, and decided that they needed to be able to fight the same as the bad guys. So, the International Wizarding Conference of 1942 offered Light Wizards the ability to use Dark curses-under controlled circumstances. In other words, people serving the Light side- Aurors, Unspeakables, certain members of the Ministry, they're all allowed to use them."

"Are you?" a student asked quickly, then looked to regret it. The other students looked nervous- the Potter family had been well known throughout Britain, and everyone had heard the gory details of their deaths, and likely, how he had been the first to find them.

James shrugged his shoulders, a little uncomfortable. "As a former Auror, I have the ability to use the Killing Curse and the Imperius Curse should the need arise- however, the use is very, very restricted, and should the occasion arise, I would likely be taken into Ministry custody for a week or so while their ascertained the entire story, my side of it, and witnesses versions." He shifted a bit. "As to the magical creatures... You said that any that are dangerous are considered Dark. But some are allowed to live in our society, aren't they? What's the difference between one that is, and one that isn't?"

"One will try to eat or kill you, the other will ignore you," a Slytherin sneered. "It's not hard to figure out, really."

"Well, what about the ones that aren't clear?" James asked. "Werewolves are only dangerous one night a month, and then, only if they don't take care of themselves. A sphinx? I had quite a pleasant conversation with one about three months ago, and never once did it threaten me. Witches and wizards can be more dangerous than most of those beasts, don't you think?"

"No," a Slytherin protested. "We wizards are only dangerous when we are being threatened."

Not true, James though, thinking of all of the death he had seen lately, but did not say such a thing out loud. "Dragons have been found, in some studies, to be safe so long as you avoid their eggs. Werewolves are only dangerous when in their beast form. Sphinxes? I just told you about them. Lobalugs? They only attack when they're in danger. We can be a vicious society, and I will do no more than ask you to look at what's making headlines in the Daily Prophet to figure out what I mean by that." 

Though James had a feeling that there were several Slytherins in the class that still would not agree. He stood up. "Since it's the first day, I'll not ask you to stay for the entire period. However, you will have homework due one week from today. Write me an essay, either about what qualifies as Dark Magic, and who can use said magic, or about magical creatures, and what makes a creature Dark or not. We'll be focusing more on defining Dark Magic in the next few class periods. That about wraps it up. Dismissed. Have a nice day."

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

His next class was much the same, so it was a fairly easy morning for him. He did not have another class before lunch, so he relaxed and waited around until time to go to the Great Hall.

It was to his surprise that he found himself hoping that Lily Evans would be there. It was not a pleasant surprise, either. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to grow attached to anyone, much less a professor at Hogwarts!

He forced himself to think of her as nothing more than an acquaintance. She wasn't even close enough to be considered a friend, he reminded himself, even if they had spent several hours talking. 

Of course, upon arriving at lunch, he realized he shouldn't have bothered worrying about it. Ms. Evans had decided to dine with her friends up in one of the two towers.

It was not a happy moment when he realized how disappointed he was.

Thanks to my reviewers! (Hope I didn't miss anyone!)  
**Nicole**: (Nice name!) Glad you're enjoying the story. Yes, Lily is the Muggle-Studies teacher. Hope you'll enjoy the rest!  
**Little Rogue**: Glad you think it'd be interesting to see Sybil in a romance, and glad you're enjoying. Thanks for the review, and I'll try to update regularly!  
**Jemi Fal**: So glad to see you're enjoying this one too- I really appreciate that you've been such a wonderful reviewer to me!**  
Scarlett*eyes**: Glad you liked the bookstore dancing. :o) I had it all pictured out and was giggling myself when I wrote that line. :o) And very glad you liked Sirius. I like him too. :o)  
**chickensoup3**: lol, straight to the point! Glad you think it's so cool!**  
Ameve**: Glad you like the long chapters. I'm not a the stories where the chaps are two paragraphs long either! Glad you're liking the story!  
**crimsonthread**: Thank you for such a long review! :o) I'm glad you like Arabella- she's been one of my fav. characters to write. Glad you liked the beginning of it- I had one vote that it wasn't the greatest, and now you've tied it up saying that it was okay. :o) Thanks! I'd love to read your fic with them as profs. I checked for it, but nothing was up! I think it's an amusing way to write about them, because so many other fics are about them as students- and this way, it just makes it a bit more interesting, because we haven't had much of a look at the non-Hogwarts world in the HP books. :o) Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter, and will continue to enjoy the rest!  
**Quack Quack 88**: Glad you liked it thus far. :o) I don't know that Sybil ever was a real deep character, but she's got to have more to her than being just a psycho freak like she is in the book. :o)  
**Got Harry**: Perfectly? I doubt that, but thank you anyway!  
**Manatees 'R' Us**: Glad you're liking this one, too! And especially liking that you liked Sybil and Arabella. 

Extra Thanks to Vanilla Blood, my brand new Beta! :o) Thanks!

Next Chapter: Sybil has a dream, several teachers go to Hogsmeade and see Sirius, and Lily gets pissed off at Sirius!

Wanna read more by me? (PLEASE!) Check out my fic _Late One Night_ (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1125632), which is Minerva McGonagall's perspective of the night Sirius told Mr. Snape about the Whomping Willow...


	4. Chapter Three

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
Characters: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
Rating: PG-13  
A little bit from Sybil, a visit from Sirius, and the first signs of L/J being observed...

_Chapter Three_

Sybil Trelawney believed in Divination with the same devotion that Muggles tended to have towards their religion. For her, Divination _was_ her religion, and every day, she practiced it.

Her classroom was dark and warm-she'd observed that the students felt closer to their Inner Eyes when they were free of distractions, and not having a well lit room certainly helped with that.

On the walls were pictures of famous Diviners, and a handful of Fortune Tellers who had been real, and had actually predicted things.

Her private chambers were a fancy bit- she'd always loved the idea of being a princess or something, and firmly believed she had been one in a prior life. Therefore, her bed floated, and the curtains that could be drawn around it were long and gauzy and as rich as she'd been able to conjure.

She had a picture of her family on the wall to the right of the door, and a picture of her and Lily on Graduation Day on the left. Her family, all dead from a horrible attack by the Dark Lord, and her only real friend. 

Sybil would never admit it out loud, but her friendship with Lily had been the only thing that had kept her sane through the years. She'd been made fun of, laughed at, and generally been considered a freak. But Lily had always stood up for her, Lily with her Gryffindor bravery and her attitude of "sod off before I make you."

In second year, when Sybil had received the Letter from the Ministry, telling of her family's deaths, Lily had been the one to stand by her side and comfort her.

Sybil couldn't imagine what she'd do if Lily weren't around- it would be too horrible for words.

She'd never had a boyfriend, or a lover, or anyone like that. Men seemed to be wary of her, and were Sybil truthful with herself, she would understand.

Not many men out there could handle dealing with a woman with the Inner Eye. But it didn't make it any easier when everyone else was on the Great Quest for a Man, and they were all willing to conform to the Man's beliefs about what a woman should be. Sybil would not do that. Her Inner Eye was a very important part of her.

Of course, perhaps there were a few times when she was just a little too extreme, but that was only occasionally, and besides, wasn't everyone allowed to exaggerate once in a while?

With a sigh, Sybil finished up her tea and set it on the desk, then wandered back to her lovely, soft, warm bed, and took off her dressing gown and slippers, and crawled right in. 

Classes were over for the week, and she was firmly in favor of a nice lie-in in the morning...

And Merlin, did she need one! Students seemed to get more and more rambunctious each and every year...

It was not long before she entered her dreams...

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

"Lily! Wake up, wake up! Lily! Lily!"

Her eyes flew open and she reached for her wand, sitting up and aiming at the intruder in her bedroom before she'd even completely opened her bed. 

Downstairs, a door was thrown open and footsteps ran up, even as the light went on.

Sybil was the one who'd woken her, and was staring at her with wide-eyed horror.

James Potter, whose room was the next room down, rushed in, wearing only a pair of pants, and carrying his wand. "What the hell's going on?" he demanded, glancing around the room. "I heard someone screaming."

Sybil let out a great sob. "Oh, Lily, you're going to die!"

Lily paused mid motion and gave Sybil a long look. "What are you talking about?" She pulled her robe on over her pajamas, climbing out of bed.

Sybil grabbed her and hugged her. "I Saw it, you're going to die, I know it! Oh, Lily, please, you can't!"

James Potter had pulled on his dressing gown and looked even more puzzled. "What?"

Lily managed to get free of Sybil's tight embrace and pulled on her slippers. "She had a dream," she explained to James. "Come on, Sybil. I'll get tea going, and you can tell me about it."

Potter did not look pleased. He rubbed his eyes tiredly. "A dream. And it was important enough to wake everyone down the hall at five in the morning?"

Sybil gave him a hoity look. "I'm a Seer. What I dream does come true."

Lily bit her lip and shot James a pleading look. She was not up for dealing with Sybil going on a rant. Not this early in the morning, anyhow.

He sighed. "Right."

Lily glanced at the clock. It was, indeed, five thirteen in the morning. She sighed. "You're welcome to join us for tea, or go back to bed. It's a Saturday after all; you should enjoy a bit of a lie in."

He gave her a terse smile. "I don't think I'll be getting back to sleep any time soon, so if you don't mind, I'll stick around."

Lily motioned for the other two to go back down the steps, and waved her wand at the lights in her room. 

When she got to the bottom of the steps, Sybil had already conjured up some tea, and was pouring for them.

"It was horrible," Sybil said, her hands shaking.

Lily frowned. She'd never seen Sybil so upset before. She was always dramatic, but there was usually a look of solemn seriousness about her that gave her away. This time though, Sybil looked far too upset. She took a seat next to her, taking the tea and wrapping her fingers around the warm cup. "Couldn't it have just been a nightmare?" she suggested.

Sybil shook her head. "It wasn't like any dream I've ever had before. I don't know what was happening, all I know is that it caused your death, and it was absolutely awful!"

Lily bit back a tired yawn and gave Sybil a soothing smile. "Tell me all about it," she encouraged, and sat back.

She hoped it wouldn't take too long, she really wanted to get back to bed.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

An hour later, day had broken through, and light was streaming through the windows.

Sybil had finished telling everything, and James had escorted her back to her room a short while ago.

Lily went up and got dressed, figuring that she'd gone to bed early, so she may as well get up early as well. 

When she came back down, James Potter was there, looking out the window. (There was an excellent view of the lake, and the sun was rising over it, fiery red and quite beautiful.) He turned when he heard her. "Good morning again," he greeted her.

"And to you. Not going back to bed?" He had dressed as well.

He shrugged his shoulders and walked back towards the front of the classroom, where she was. "I asked Sybil if she wanted to go into Hogsmeade with Sirius and me," he said. "He's coming up to look for a place to stay. Would you like to accompany us? I didn't want to say it to her face, but I don't think Sirius would take it well if he had no relief from her... er, visions. And," he added with a rueful smile. "I don't think I would much go for it either."

Lily smiled a little. "That sounds lovely. Would you mind if I invited Taura along as well? She's been looking for a chance to get out." 

James grinned. "That'll make up for bringing Sybil along, in Siri's mind."

Lily smiled. "Sounds lovely. When shall we go?"

"I've got to run over and see Albus and then see a few students," James said with a glance at the clock. "How's after lunch?"

She nodded. "I'll tell Sybil and Taura. You on your way down to eat?"

James nodded. "Now that I've been up for this long, I fear I might waste away to nothing if I don't."

Lily smiled. "We can't have that now, can we?"

He shrugged. "Does that mean we get to eat now?"

Lily laughed. "And they say boys change when they grow up..."

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Sirius Black was not laughing a few hours later, but he was fighting back a big, obvious smirk.

It was not the reaction most people would expect of him after spending even five minutes with Sybil Trelawney, but that was not bothering him as much as he'd expected. He was far too focused on the amusing situation his best friend was finding himself in.

When James had wandered down to the train station that morning to find him, Sirius had not been thrilled to hear that they would be accompanied by Sybil Trelawney. Lily Evans was all right, as he thought she was rather pretty, but Sybil was somewhat obnoxious and annoying.

His irritation had not been soothed at all when he found out that Taura Sinastra would not be joining them, either. In fact, that had nearly driven him to run off screaming. Of Sinastra and Evans, he personally preferred Sinastra: she was older, sexier, and while many men wouldn't mind the fact that Evans was so short, he did not particularly want to hear the jokes about just where her head came to when she stood next to him.

James had explained to him about how upset Sybil had been the previous night, but still, was that really an excuse to bring her along?

More than a little peeved, Sirius had reluctantly wandered around Hogsmeade with James and the two women, going in and out of little shops. It hadn't been entirely bad- they had done a lot of reminiscing, but it still had been rather weird. Sybil was very quiet for much of the morning... and Lily and James had kept getting side-tracked, looking at displays in windows....

It had been waiting at the Three Broomsticks for the two to return with their drinks that the obvious had popped into his head.

James Potter was paying an _awful_ lot of attention to the short, attractive, lovely young Muggle Studies professor. And she was paying it right back.

A grin spread across his face as he realized it, and the morning's irritation slowly began to fade away. Dumbass that he was, James probably hadn't even figured out that he was interested in her in any way but as a fellow teacher. Up at the bar, Lily started laughing at something James had said. 

Well, he though with sigh and a wry smile, whatever happened between them, he hoped that James would take it slow. He'd suffered an awful loss just a short while ago... And Sirius Black did not want his best friend to get hurt again.

Shaking his head, Sirius looked at Sybil and noted that she was watching the scene with a small frown on her face. And she didn't seem to have that absent look in her eyes that she usually had. "So," he said with something of a forced smile on his face. "They look like they're getting cozy."

Sybil averted her eyes. "Yeah," she said distractedly.

Sirius fought back the urge to let his jaw drop. What, no lame line about how she'd foreseen it? "You don't seem too pleased by it," he observed.

She shrugged her shoulders, and in doing so, her earrings jingled. "Whatever gave you that idea?" she asked, and suddenly, it was as though she'd put a mask up. The foggy look was back in her eyes, and her expression was rather vague. "I'm not at all surprised by-"

He held up his hand, stopping her. "Right, you saw it." He sighed, drumming his fingers on the table, and then looked back up at her. "You want a little advice?"

She gave him a cautious look. "Go ahead."

"You'd be more believable if you didn't try so hard."

She studied him for a very long moment, and then slid out of the booth. "If you'll excuse me, Mr. Black," she said coldly. "I must be returning to the castle. I have work to do, and I do not find your company to be so pleasant that it is worth enduring any longer."

She grabbed her bag and stormed out.

A moment passed, and then Lily hurried over to the table, James behind her. "What happened?" she asked worriedly, letting James sit first. 

Sirius frowned. "She suddenly had work to do, and didn't find my company all that pleasant."

Lily looked very tired, and leaned on the table. "Look," she said, frustrated. "I know that you think she's a bit odd for being like she is, but-"

"I don't _think_ she's odd," Sirius corrected. "I _know_ she is."

Lily glared at him. "Sybil is my best friend. You're twenty years old. Grow up. You're not going to like everyone you meet, but that doesn't mean you can run off and ridicule them, or whatever you did to her. All morning long, you've been glaring at her like she's such a horrible person. It's fine if you don't like her- a lot of people don't. But you don't have to be such an ass about it." She looked over at James. "I'll see you tonight, James," she said, and then turned and left.

Sirius looked after her for a long moment, until he became aware of the fact that James was smirking at him. He glared. "Oh, sod off. You think I didn't notice you up there flirting away with her?"

James lost the smirk immediately, and gave him an alarmed look. "What are you talking about?"

Sirius sighed and took a long drink of Butterbeer. "I'm saying that you've spent all morning flirting with Lily. If it weren't obvious that it's such a shock to you, I'd probably chew you out for it."

James shook his head a little, and the tired look he'd been missing all morning was back. "I don't want... Hell, Siri, I'm not looking for that right now."

Sirius shrugged. It wasn't fun to make fun of James anymore- he was too emotional. Rightly so, but nonetheless, it was hard to cheer someone up when they were so depressed that you couldn't make fun of them. "I know you're not," he said, choosing to remain serious. "But she doesn't, and I think, despite Sybil's apparent issues, that Sybil would kick your ass if you ended up hurting her."

James nodded a little, rubbing his eyes. "I guess I'll just have to try to cool off."

"Not completely," Sirius advised, studying him with a frown. "She's a nice girl, and she was always fairly good with Charms. Wouldn't be a good idea to be a complete ass to her, you know. It'd be tragic if you ended up waking up with all of your clothes charmed invisible or something." He fought a grin and gave James a solemn look. "I don't think it would go over well if all of your students saw you in that sort of state."

James studied him for a long moment. "You're an ass, Sirius."

Sirius nodded. "And you love me for it, Potter."

James laughed, and Sirius felt better.

Silly or not, he had taken it upon himself to help James get back to normal- or at least somewhere around there. With that thought still in mind, Sirius decided to tell him about Peter's latest attempt at getting a girlfriend...

Don't worry, everyone. It's not about to turn into a happy-happy fic! I've got lots of misery plotted out and yet to come!

**Iris Cream**- Couple of things. :o) First off, Arabella is of an unknown age. All we know about her comes from a brief mention in PS, stating that she watched Harry sometimes, and an even shorter mention in GoF, in which she's part of the "old crowd". So, I decided she was going to be part of the ooooooolllllllddd crowd. :o) Second, the bit with Sybil hating Harry. I don't really think that she *hates* Harry... But I'll get more into that later. To quote a former teacher, "All be revealed, grasshopper!" Last, Sirius and James. Sorry you didn't like them saying ma'am. :o) I meant it to be in a humorous way, and sorry you didn't like it. :o) Hope it hasn't turned you off the story! Thanks for reviewing!  
**Manatees 'R' Us**- Eww, Alg. 2 finals... euch! I had one of them in my junior year, and it wasn't pretty... :o( Glad the sight of an update made you happier!  
**Scarlett*eyes**- You enjoyed James's lesson? Good... Glad you did. I had fun writing it, but I was worried that people wouldn't like it very much. Glad you did! I felt bad for James too though. That's why he got to flirt with Lily in this chap. :o)  
**Y.Kuang**- Lol, hope you mean it's interesting in a good way! I'm trying very hard to keep the narrative consistently unbiased. I had a lot of problems with skipping around with POVs in my earliest days of writing, and I'm only now, slowly, learning to get better. :o) Feel free to tell me if it's good or bad directly! I"m not easily offended... Matter of fact, I'm usually pretty oblivious when someone's trying to offend me... :o)  
**sirius' lover**- Hope this was fast enough!  
**Quack Quack 88**- Glad you're still enjoying. Glad you're still reviewing!  
**Jemi Fal**- lol, back again?! I feel special since you've reviewed me so many times...!  
**Emily Woodmark**- Lol, glad you're enjoying it!  
**Nicole**- hehehe... Nicole is my name in another realm... That's why I like it so much. Glad you thought the chap. was cool! :o)   
**chickensoup3**- Well, I hope that wasn't too fluffy for you! I promise, the next parts won't be too fluffy. Lily and James are going to face a bit of a set back of their own making... (that'll make more sense when you read the next chap.) Just for you though, I'll make sure to include something really grim and depressing in one of the next chapters, all right? :o) Though I can't promise you a lack of fluff entirely- I'm happiest when I'm either making people die or making them snog, and I like making myself happy... ;o)  
**mogliecat**- Glad you're liking how it's shaping up! Hope you still do!  
**Got Harry**- I'm updating as fast as I can manage!

Special thanks to Vanilla Blood again, for all her help!

Reviewers get a special commemorative photo of Mr. Potter in his sleeping pants... Shirtless... with bed hair... holding only his wand... sooooooooo sexy!... hehehe.... (Actually, if anyone would draw it for me, I'd love them forever...!)

Next chapter: Why students should never say mudblood, and Lily and James get a little closer... and a little more distant.

Note that future chapters will come a little slower now, as I'm actually writing them between updates, and I"m also having them beta-ed. :o) (Feel free to send extra encouragement so I don't take too long!)

And Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate!


	5. Chapter Four

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
Characters: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
Rating: PG-13  
The problem of Voldemort is brought to attention, and Lily and James get a little bit closer... but not for long.

Eep! And I'm not trying to make Lily into Saint Lily- Thank you for pointing out that was what she was turning into.  Please, please feel free to tell me those sorts of things- I know how it's all going to play out, and I sometimes get distracted in making sure the things happen in the right order, and character believability suffers from inattention.  *sigh* I never was very good at that… Thanks again for pointing it out! 

After this, the chapters will be getting slower- I don't have them pre-written anymore! (However, I have them all plotted out, and that is certainly a good thing! *crosses fingers*

_Chapter Four_

Life grew to be a regular, steady, mercifully boring rhythm.

Weekdays, he would wake up at six o'clock and dress. He would double check the lesson plan for the day, then go down to breakfast and eat with the staff and students. Each morning he had two or three classes, then lunch. Then he would have two or three more classes, and then he would dismiss the students and they would all go to dinner. He ate most regularly with Lily and Taura, but also occasionally with Sybil. He had been very careful around all three of them since Sirius had pointed out his "flirting". 

On weekends, he would go into Hogsmeade and visit with Sirius, who had rented a small house towards the Shrieking Shack end of Hogsmeade. Apparently, most people were afraid to live anywhere near the Shrieking Shack because of the ghosts that haunted it.

Remus made it up one weekend, and the threesome went into town and got well sotted, though James a little less than the other two- he was, after all, a teacher, and it wasn't good for him to be seen drunk.

Sirius made nice with Lily and Sybil, and they and Taura occasionally accompanied James into town on the weekends.

All in all, it would have been quite nice, were it not for two major things:

The first were the dreams he continued to have. No matter what he tried, he could not escape them. Solid Sleep Potion proved to be ineffective after two nights of taking it. The nurse was rather unhappy about that, but she and Arabella Figg teamed up, against his wishes, to try and find a better potion for it.

James settled for sleeping in short periods, and hoping to wake up before he saw his little sister's accusing expression.

The other thing that kept it from being all nice and lovely was the continuation of the Voldemort attacks.

Every time James saw a paper, the headlines screamed of another attack. Calling him "You-Know-Who" had been an unfunny joke when it had started, but now it seemed that James was in the minority in thinking it was still a joke. No one would say his name. The Daily Prophet called him by several other names- never just Voldemort though. 

Muggle-borns and "Muggle Lovers" were placed on the list to avoid, making things quite uncomfortable for a few students. 

Unfortunately, it was not only restricted to the students. 

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Halloween morning, Lily woke up with a smile on her face, thinking of all the work she'd done the night before- she'd decorated her room in Muggle Halloween decor, with cardboard cut-outs of witches, pumpkins, ghosts, and skeletons, and was planning on teaching her classes how to carve a pumpkin the Muggle way...

She dressed and opened her bedroom door to enter her classroom... Only to be hit with a bucket of wretched smelling rotten foods dropping on her head and splattering all over the floor. Aghast and disgusted, she wiped her face clean and opened her eyes again...

Only to find that her classroom had been destroyed overnight.

The desks were flipped over, the chairs were in pieces. The decorations which she had so carefully put up were ripped and shredded. The filing cabinet was on its side, and papers were thrown all over the room, ripped up, colored on, painted over...

But worst of all, the miscreants had attacked her walls.

_die mudblood_ said one wall.

_kill the mudbloods, death to muggles!_

_mudbloods beware! the dark days come! _was the frightening warning on another.

She wiped the food remains back further from her eyes, the stench so strong that her eyes watered.

Or maybe those were natural tears, coming from the shock of what a mess had been created.

Slowly, she started to step down the stairs, only to draw to a sudden, sickening halt as she nearly slipped and fell down the rest of the way... slipped on a red substance of some kind...

Her eyes fell on a shape at the bottom of the stairs, and she gasped and grabbed the railing to make her way down.

Horrified, she realized as she got closer that the shape at the bottom was an owl... A blood soaked owl that she had owned since her first year of attending Hogwarts.

Fighting the urge to vomit, she knelt down by the animal and carefully prodded it. When she drew back her hand, it was covered with blood. 

Tears prickled her eyes, and she choked back a cry. _Cupid_... She'd loved that owl... Her mother had bought it for her...

"Oh my goodness..."

Lily looked up, startled to find Minerva McGonagall standing in the doorway, her face white and her expression even grimmer than normal. "Are you all right, Lily?" Minerva asked quietly.

"It's just out here," Lily murmured. "They didn't go in my room."

"I'll go get the Headmaster," James Potter said from behind Minerva. He looked sickened by the sight of the room.

Lily hadn't even seen him. She nodded distractedly and stood up to get a towel or a sheet or something to wrap Cupid in. 

"What happened to you?" Minerva asked as she stepped in further, looking rather disgusted by the awful odor.

Lily glanced down at herself. "They rigged a bucket above the door. I guess I got hit."

Minerva nodded slightly and pulled out her wand. She waved at Lily, and within a moment, the filthy muck was gone from her.

Lily still felt filthy. She managed to nod a thanks to Minerva, then went to her desk and cautiously opened the drawer, well aware that it might have been another trap. Nothing went off, so she dug through the drawer until she found the bathing towel left from the "Summer With Muggles" session, and pulled it out.

Too tense to even tear a little, she knelt by the tiny owl again and carefully lifted him and set him on the towel, covering him, and trying hard not to notice how his blood was on each of the steps, as if they had tortured the poor thing to give it's blood up a little at a time, one step at a time...

"My, my," Albus Dumbledore murmured as he entered the classroom. He was clearly quite displeased. "You heard nothing at all?"

Lily shook her head a little, still very aware of the wretched smell of blood. "No... I didn't hear anything." And that was unusual, she realized. She was a very light sleeper.

James Potter looked around the room. "They probably did a silencing spell," he determined.

Dumbledore slowly crossed the room over to her and set his hand on her shoulder. "I'm very sorry about this," he said.

She gave him a wry, sad smile. "Unless you did it, Albus, I don't think you need to apologize."

He smiled back at her, also sadly. "Your owl was killed?"

She nodded, averting her eyes. "Yeah. He was my first."

"Hagrid would probably offer to take care of him for you," Dumbledore observed. "He has done such things many times, sadly."

She nodded. "I'm going to go down and see him, then I'll get this mess cleaned up."

"I'll clean it up," James offered, glancing around. "Unless we can catch the little-er, the people who did this."

Minerva McGonagall was white in the face, very angry. "I shall speak to Arabella," she said stiffly. Dumbledore gave her a look, and she sighed impatiently. "And Fulton and Ivy, of course."

Lily looked over at James. "I'll get it," she insisted quietly. "I want to take an inventory of what's been ruined, and make sure nothing is missing."

"I hope they did steal something," James said, nodding slightly. "At least then we could prove who it was."

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Perhaps. But it is more likely that they did not. Therefore, I shall go find Hagrid and send him up to see you. Minerva, you and I shall go to speak to the other House Heads. James, if you would help Lily?"

They split up to see to their jobs, and Lily and James set off to clean the room.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

No one on the staff would say it, but they all knew blame could be placed at the hands of a few sixth year Slytherins, who had created several problems for Muggle-born students already. 

Arabella Figg was enraged by the occurrence, and rumors about what she'd said to her students flew wildly about- she would not confirm that she'd threatened to string the guilty parties up by their toes and force-feed them Flobberworms and Hippogriff guts. However, any time anyone asked her, she got a rather satisfied smirk on her face about it, so it was presumed to be true.

Nonetheless, it wasn't enough.

But the whole school learned that it would not be tolerated in late October.

James had just finished up a lesson and had dismissed his class. He was about ready to run up to his quarters and get a book, when he heard voices arguing in the hall. 

"Shut up, Fidget," another boy said back. "You're a stupid Slytherin, you shouldn't talk."

"You're nothing but a stupid mudblood, Wallace," the other boy sneered. "You shouldn't even be in this school."

"Oh yeah? Eat this! _Rictusempra_!"

A soft "oooh" was heard from the group that had apparently gathered, along with the furious giggles of the other boy.

"_P-petrif-rif-icus t-tot-tot-alis_!" the giggling Slytherin shot out, and a gasp came from the crowd.

With a scowl, James went to break it up before it got worse. It would be hard for them to listen to him- he was only a few years older than the boys, and they would likely still think of him as a student, but he needed to fix that idea anyway.

But Lily Evans got there first and was already stepping between them by the time he got to the door, and he didn't want to undermine her authority, so he stayed back. "Enough!" she snapped. "_Finite Incantantum_! _Finite Incantantum_!"

The crowd went "oooh" again, but the two fighters were too focused on each other to even glance her way.

"_Furnunculus_!" the Slytherin boy snarled.

"_Desaugueo_!" the Gryffindor exclaimed.

"I said enough!" Lily snapped again, and this time, did something about it. "_Expelliarmus_!" The wands flew into the furious witch's hands. 

"Give me back my wand, mudblood," the Slytherin snarled, whirling about to face her.

There were several gasps, including one from the boy who'd said it. 

Lily went white with fury. "Dumbledore's office," she commanded tersely. "Immediately!"

The Slytherin realized he'd slipped up and looked pale. "I-I didn't mean- I thought you were..."

Lily pointed her wand at him, her grip tight. "Immediately!" 

The student stared at her, and shut his mouth. "The rest of you disperse," Lily ordered. "Except for you, Mr. Wallace, you still need further punishment."

"Yes, ma'am," the Gryffindor boy said, looking as though Christmas had come early- he had, after all, just witnessed an enemy making a _huge_ mistake.

Lily glanced up and saw James then. He almost flinched from the scowl on her face. "Would you mind informing my class I'll be tardy?"

He nodded and watched as the other students saw him and started walking away with much more speed. "No problem, Professor," he said politely.

She studied him for a long moment and stepped forward to speak quietly. "And thank you for letting me handle this," she said, too soft for the other students to hear.

He nodded. "I figured it would be better..."

She nodded and stepped back, glaring at the Slytherin. "We'll be detouring to find Professor Figg," she said coldly. 

The Slytherin looked like he would faint.

James fought a smile upon realizing that, and had to look away as he went down to Lily's classroom to await her students.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Lily rarely had a hard time controlling her temper, but when she got mad, she got MAD. The Slytherin boy had been smart enough to keep quiet for the long walk to find Professor Figg, and then to find Dumbledore. Arabella Figg was furious and it was obvious from her demeanor and glare that she couldn't wait to get the boy alone so she could tear into him.

Dumbledore was, fortunately, in his office, and he saw them right away. He was not pleased when Lily explained what had happened. He recalled that she had a class to attend to though, and suggested she go see it. "I shall be certain to keep you updated," he said with a sympathetic smile for her.

Lily had started to cool off by the time she got back to her classroom, but still paused outside the door for a few moments to collect herself.

She was somewhat surprised to hear her class giggling rather hard, and stepped further in the doorway to see what was going on.

James was up in front of the classroom, smiling a bit. "Muggle magicians don't do magic, no matter what their advertisements say," he explained. "A friend and I learned all about them a few years back, because they're pretty good at being sneaky. For example, a rabbit out of the hat sort of deal." He stood up and tapped his wand on a cup that was on her desk. With a poof, it turned into an adorable white rabbit. He glanced around the class and then snatched a hat off of a boy's head. The boy let out a good-natured cry of protest, but sat back to watch.

James cleared his throat and set the rabbit in the hat, which he'd transfigured into a Muggle Magician hat. "Now," he explained. "The Muggle only know one phrase that they think is magic. 'Abracadabra'. Repeat that, if you would."

"Abracadabra," the class repeated dutifully, a few of the Muggleborns grinning widely.

"A Muggle takes his wand- which is usually a piece of plastic- and taps the hat. Abracadabra!" James flipped that hat so everyone could see. "Voila, the rabbit is gone, and not a bit of magic to it."

The class applauded. 

James frowned a bit. "I never did get how they got the rabbit back though. Probably something with a compartment in the top of the hat-" As he was speaking, the rabbit suddenly appeared on his shoulder, though he apparently didn't notice. "Once they get it in there, I've never been able to see how they pull it out." The rabbit crawled up and sniffed his head.

The third years were thrilled and applauded- he'd somehow done it without using his wand.

"I know it's in here somewhere," James murmured with a frown on his face, poking his wand in the hat. Then, abruptly, he grimaced and grabbed the rabbit off his shoulder, just in time for the class to realize the rabbit was leaving a mess on his shoulder. "Urhh...That's disgusting," James groaned, though the class found it hilarious.

Lily entered the classroom clapping as well. "Everyone give a thank-you to Professor Potter for providing you with a lovely entertainment of sorts. Unless I'm very much mistaken, he'll probably want to go...er, clean himself up, don't you agree?"

Giggles from the students. James gave her a sour look. "This is the thanks I get?"

She shrugged. "Apparently."

He sighed. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted."

She stopped him. "Before you go, can I have my cup back?" 

He gave her a mocking smirk. "No." He tapped the rabbit, and suddenly there were two. "Have fun!" he said happily, and sauntered out the door.

"It's good to know some things never change," Lily sighed as the two rabbits began running around chasing each other. Her students giggled wildly. "Oh, this is lovely."

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Apparently she'd grown attached to the rabbits, he decided a few hours later, watching from the doorway if her classroom. One rabbit was at her feet, and the other she was petting as she checked homework.

The fire flickered behind her, and it cast shadows on her face. 

Not for the first time, a strange feeling went through him...She seemed to bring out strange feelings in him all the time. He frowned. It seemed that his teenage hormones were returning in full force. Perhaps it was something to do with being back at school...

She didn't look up when he stepped further in, and he had to clear his throat twice before she looked up, and when she did, she looked puzzled for a moment. Then recognition dawned. "Oh, hello James."

"Interesting stuff?" he asked, his hands buried deep in his pockets as he walked towards her.

She shrugged. "I wouldn't go that far."

He smiled faintly. "It's dinner time. Came by to see if you were heading down."

She made a face. "I'd love to, really. But I've got to get these checked, and I stupidly promised I'd have them done by tomorrow. Unfortunately, I forgot that one of my other classes had a project due, and..." She sighed. "It's a mess."

"You want help?" he offered. "I'll give you a hand, then we can ask the house elves to bring something up if we get hungry."

She blinked. "You don't have to do that," she started.

"Not a problem," he said, shrugging. "I did, after all, manage to lose your little cup thing."

She blinked and looked down at the rabbit in her lap. "I forgot about them," she admitted. "But they're kinda cute. I might just have to keep them."

James pulled a chair up to the desk. "If you don't, I'll just keep changing them back," he decided.

She gave him an amused look. "Thanks a lot."

"Anytime."

She rolled her eyes and dug through a drawer and handed him a quill. "I appreciate it," she said, referring to his assistance.

He shrugged. "You can owe me."

She rolled her eyes and went back to checking essays.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

It was hours later, and the essays had been checked. They'd eaten and finished their drinks, and now they sat in the back of the classroom by the large window, in the two comfy chairs she'd placed back there when she'd first started working at the school.

"Arabella dropped by a bit before you got here," Lily said thoughtfully, her feet curled up beneath her. "She said the boy was going to be suspended for a week."

James made a small noise of approval. "I'm glad. Aside from the fact that he used that word, the fact that he said it to you, a professor at the school... He deserves it. My father once told me he'd sworn in front of the Headmaster..." He trailed off. He sighed. "Dad got suspended for a week and had another week of detention after it." He closed his eyes tight. His father had always roared with laughter after telling that story. He'd slap his knee then look at him and always say that he deserved every moment of that suspension. A rather silly thing to laugh over, but he always had... and he never would again.

"You still dream about it, don't you?" Lily asked quietly.

James studied the night sky with a small frown on his face. "I do," he answered finally. 

"Me too," she admitted, sipping her tea, which she'd brewed just a short while ago. "Mum died about a week after we graduated. Dad passed away just a short while after her."

"I didn't know," he murmured. 

She shrugged a little. "My mum had a tumor, and we knew it was coming. Dad... well, I don't think he even wanted to live without her. I know it sounds silly, almost ridiculous, but they were... I don't know, part of each other or something. That's about the only thing my sister and I have ever agreed on."

"I remember you telling me a little about your sister," James said quietly. "Another flower name, wasn't it?"

"Petunia. Petunia Dursley, now. She got married over the summer." Lily sighed. "Amazingly, she invited me to the wedding. Of course, she told me if I said a word about what I was, she'd kill me, but at least she invited me. And I got to sit up front because everyone knew I was her family." She shook her head a bit. "You were actually in your brother's wedding, weren't you? I think I remember you taking off for a weekend to do that."

James nodded, closing his eyes. "That was... Merlin, David got married two years ago. It doesn't seem that long ago. He and his wife had their first child nine months exactly after that. Michael. He was..." James paused for a moment. "Michael was something else. He adored me and looked just like me and my father. We always teased David that Julie, his wife, and I had had a little tryst on their wedding day. He'd get so mad..." He opened his eyes again, drawing himself back to reality. It didn't much matter, did it? 

Lily's hand came down to rest on his, and he looked over at her, a little startled. She gave him a small smile. "It's okay to think about them," she said quietly. "It helps...if you remember the good."

"It hurts," he admitted, unable to stop himself. For whatever reason, she was was easy to talk to. Even about things that he wouldn't tell Sirius about.

She squeezed his hand a little. "It always will, a little."

Silence fell between them and she started to draw her hand away. He didn't let her, and didn't explain why.

He didn't _know_ why.

He didn't have the opportunity to think about it, because she drew her hand away again, and didn't let him stop her.

When she looked over at him, her eyes were dark and somewhat unreadable. "It would be a very bad idea for anything to happen right now," she said quietly.

He was startled and shifted so he could see her better. "Between us, you mean?" he asked.

She nodded after a moment's hesitation. "Aside from the fact that we're both teacher in a school that thrives off of rumors, I don't think it would be the best move on your part. You're still grieving... It wouldn't work if you threw yourself in a relationship so you could just forget your pain. And I'm sorry if I'm being blunt, it's just..."

He shook his head a little. "No, I suppose you're right." He looked away from her, out at the night sky, which had suddenly lost its brilliance, and seemed clouded over... "You're being smart. I'm not ready for it."

They sat in silence for a long time after that, and both felt as though the night was a lot gloomier.

Thanks to all my dear, dear reviewers:

**Mogliecat**- Glad you like it! Happy holidays to you, too!  
**Twisted Rose**- Happy to hear you're enjoying it!  
**Got Harry**- lol, don't worry, I need to be pushed!    
**Scarlett*Eyes**- More L/J will come eventually, don't worry.  
**mooncancer**- Glad you like!  
**Iris cream**- I'm trying to keep this a not-fluffy and light story, so I probably won't let Sirius show off all of his humor- sorry!  
**Jemi Fal**- Wow, the first since Monday? I'm honored that you bothered to read mine!  
**Quick Quack 88**- I hadn't realized she was turning into a savior! Thank you for pointing that out! Please, please, please let me know if that's still happening- I'm really trying not to let it!  I know she's still rather like that in this chapter, but I will do my best to get rid of such feelings in the future.  
**Manatees 'R' Us**- You feel sorry for Sybil? Good!  If all goes well, you'll feel even worse for her soon. :o)  And yes, as far as I know, likeable is a word, and you spelled it correctly. :o)

Next Chapter: Everyone goes to Hogsmeade again, Tension enters Lily and Sybil's friendship, and James struggles with life and love and loss.


	6. Chapter Five

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
Characters: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
Rating: PG-13  
Sybil and Lily settle down for a chat about friendship and men... Remus and Peter make their way up to visit Sirius and James... And what's all that about a dinner at Hogwarts...  
**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: Thank you **so much **for your continuing reviews. You have no idea how much it means to me. I have never gotten so many reviews before, and I feel so honored that it makes me tear up... I've been having a bit of a tough time with college and with life in general, and though I'm not good about saying it, I really do appreciate your support. Between your wonderful reviews and the fantastic news that book 5 would finally be released, I'm slowly managing to get back into this. Please forgive me for the delay, and thank you so much for your support!!  
Please also note that I re-wrote much of the prologue because I was rather unhappy with it-I'd appreciate all comments on it!

_Chapter Five_

Sybil had been distant lately.

She'd been distant before, plagued by her "visions" from dreams and from however she chose to inspect the future, but it had never been quite the same. Usually that meant that on the occasions that they ran into each other in the halls, Sybil would act quite oddly, going on and on about her visions.

But this time, Lily had seen her twice, and Sybil had offered her a terse smile and kept on walking.

At the staff meeting the previous day, Sybil had taken Lily's normal seat next to James and let her sit on the couch with Taura. Afterwards, she had just gone right up to her quarters and told the stairs not to let anyone up. Even Taura had commented upon her odd behavior when Lily had mentioned it.

Lily was frowning as she slowly made her way down the hallways. Classes were done for the day, and Sybil had not come down for dinner. Lily hadn't seen her all day long, and the two usually made it a point to see each other at least once- it went back to the days when they hadn't had _any_ other friends, and had needed to see each other to remind themselves they weren't alone.

Something was very wrong if Sybil had gone two days without doing more than giving her a stiff nod as she raced past her in the hallway.

Lily got to the little area where Sybil's room was, and commanded the steps down. She'd had classes earlier in the day, so the steps came down immediately, bringing with them a rush of warm, scented air. Lily climbed up the ladder, a little grateful for the heat- the rest of the castle was quite chilly.

Sybil was seated at a table by the window, her eyes staring deep into the crystal ball in front of her. She made a motion with her finger, indicating for Lily to wait a moment, and for a full minute, she did not speak.

Lily was used to it, and went to make tea over the fire. By the time she'd poured them each a cup, and took a seat across the table from Sybil, the other woman was looking up and studying her with her wide eyes. 

"Hey," Lily greeted her, sliding a cup across the table.

Sybil took it, her long, slim fingers wrapping all the way around it. "Lily," she said, nodding her head slightly. "I knew you'd visit soon. I forgot to start the tea earlier."

Lily shrugged. "No matter. How was your day?"

Sybil stared at her but remained quiet.

There were times when she did not like to deal with small talk, and this, apparently, was one of those times.

Lily sighed. "Is something wrong, Sybil? I've barely seen you lately, and I don't know what's wrong."

Sybil looked down at the steaming cup of tea. "I have seen things," she murmured. "I don't like them."

Lily fought back another sigh, this one of relief. So it was just another thing like *_that_*. She'd been worried that it was something important.

As if reading her mind, Sybil looked up again, her eyes full of worry. "Believe me, Lily. I don't say this to frighten you, but... You have to stay away from James Potter."

Lily blinked. "That might be rather difficult, since his classroom is next to mine."

Sybil didn't blink- she didn't look away, either. "Something terrible will happen if you get close to him. I don't know what exactly, it's all very unclear."

Lily studied Sybil for a long moment, feeling truly annoyed, but not wanting to offend her best friend. "Do you like James, Syb?"

Sybil closed her eyes. "He has a haunted past. It clouds his mind. I don't, not really."

Lily was disappointed, and a little unsettled. Sybil's opinion meant a lot to her, and to hear that she didn't like the man that Lily was so very interested in... It wasn't odd that Sybil didn't like someone, but usually, she would make some sarcastic comment about why when she didn't... not allude to some psychic experience. "Why not?"

"I've seen bad things about him," Sybil answered.

Lily sat back in her chair. "In the crystal ball?" she asked, annoyed. "Isn't Divination an interpretive sort of thing?"

Sybil met her gaze, her eyes suddenly rather frosty. "In my dreams, Lily. I saw such horrible things, in my dreams. It was as bad as when the Dark Lord struck against my parents. Lily, you must stay away from him, or you're going to die horribly."

Despite the fact that she was so wary of Sybil's predictions, Lily still felt a shiver rush through her- it wasn't a pleasant experience being told that she would die a gruesome death. But the fact remained that Sybil had made countless predictions before, and there was absolutely nothing that made this one special.

Except that it was the first that she'd ever said that Lily would die too.

"Sybil," she said quietly, shifting and giving her friend a long look. "You know I love you and you're my best friend, but I'm not going to stay away from him. He's a perfectly nice guy, and I like him a lot. I'm not saying that I'll go out of my way and jump into bed with him or anything, but I'm not going to avoid him on the basis of a few silly dreams. You probably just ate something that didn't sit well, and it gave you weird dreams."

Sybil looked away, clearly still worried. But she nodded slightly. "Very well."

"Are we okay?" Lily asked tentatively. "Because I wanted to ask you if you'd like to join us in Hogsmeade this weekend. Taura's looking to buy some new robes for the coming holidays, and James told me that a few of his friends would be in for the weekend." She gave her a grin. "You do remember Remus Lupin, right?"

It brought a smile to Sybil's face. "Yes. Your crush of so long."

Lily laughed. "Well, last I saw of him, he was still very handsome... And Sirius said that he's still single."

Sybil nodded a little, unable to hide the shy grin she still got when she was thinking of a man. Lily thought it was very sweet. "Fine, I'll come. But if I somehow end up getting stuck alone with Black, I swear I'll do something quite drastic."

Lily nodded and grinned. "Excellent. I swear we won't leave you. Now, I wanted to ask you a favor... Martin Goyle was making fun of a few little first years the other day. Could you do me a favor and tell him you've foreseen his gruesome death?"

Sybil studied her for a long moment, shaking her head. "The Inner Eye is not meant to be used as a joke or revenge. However, since you asked so nicely... Rampaging Hippogriffs or a tragic broom accident?"

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Taura giggled at the bar, and Sirius glanced up, sending her a bit of a longing look. He also tried to send her a mental message: Save me! Save me! Save me!

He wasn't sure what was worse. The look Remus was giving Taura that she was returning, the quiet flirting that James and Lily were taking part of, or the fact that even Peter had found a woman to chat up-though she was even shorter than he was, and about twice as wide as she was tall.

Sybil did not look pleased by any of it either, and he decided it was probably the only thing they had in common- dislike of any situation in which they were the third wheel- or in this case, the seventh and eighth.

According to James, Sybil was supposed to go for Remus or Peter, leaving Lily for James (when he was "ready"), and Taura for him, Sirius.

It wasn't working, and it hadn't worked last time, either.

Sirius was getting more than a little irritated. He took a long drink of his beer and gave Sybil a terse smile. "So," he said in the friendliest way possible, remembering that last time they'd talked, she'd walked out on him. "How's the weather been?"

She looked at him, looking mildly irritated. "Cold. It's getting colder." She went back to looking out the window.

Ouch. Well, that wasn't very friendly.

Lily was smirking across the table. "It does seem a little icy in here, doesn't it?"

James gave Sirius a more sympathetic look. "Want another beer?" he offered.

"Sure," Sirius said, and sent him a scowl. "And you're buying."

James slid out of the booth, and Sirius followed his example, and the two went up to the bar.

"I'm not liking this habit of yours," Sirius informed him, letting his annoyance show. "She may be Lily's friend, but she's damn obnoxious, and weird."

James snorted. "The same could be said about you. And how can she be obnoxious? She's barely said a word all night!" And then, to Albert, the aging barkeeper, he added, "Four more butterbeers, please."

Sirius leaned on the bar and looked over at Remus and Taura, who were engrossed in a conversation. "I don't get it," he complained. "Moony even looks sick, yet she's all over him." 

The flirting couple was standing with nearly a meter of space between them, but that was still close, wasn't it? Minor detail that even he and James were standing closer. Frowning, Sirius inched back a bit. James didn't notice.

James dug some gold out of his pockets and set it on the counter. "It's the wounded thing," he explained. "Women run to him for it."

Sirius took in James's face. James still looked very tired, and there was much tension in his every move. Obviously, he was still in the "wounded" category as well, because Lily was damn near all over him.

Of course, then he remembered James telling him about the conversation Lily and he had had where they decided to not move any further for a while, and Sirius decided that wounded wasn't always a good thing.

They fell quiet until Albert returned and handed them their mugs. "You want to sit next to Lily this time?" James asked, clearly not wanting to switch seats.

Sirius sent him a smirk. "Gee, thanks for offering. I think I will."

It wasn't necessary, as Taura and Remus returned then too, and Taura slid in the booth next to Lily. Remus sat next to her, and that left only the two places next to Sybil. "On second thought," Sirius murmured, sliding the drinks onto the table. He slid in and sat next to Sybil and across from Taura. James got stuck on the outside, across from Remus, and as far from Lily as was possible. 

Sirius rationalized splitting them up with no problem- Lily had said that she wanted to wait a while, hadn't she? And Remus and Taura weren't even dating, right?

But somehow, he knew he didn't have a chance in hell in either woman's case.

The hours passed by, and they all had a bit more to drink- and then a little more, and a little more…

But as the hour grew late, the women began exchanging looks that could mean only one thing: They were ready to go home, and none of the males in the group were going with them.

Taura was the one to finally give up. She pushed Remus out of the booth and pulled Lily out with her. "Come on, Syb," she sighed. "It's late, I'm tired, and if I drink anymore I'm going to end up with one helluva hangover in the morning."

Not that it was a bad thing, but as giggly as Lily was, it appeared that she would already be having one of those hangovers.

Sirius and James slipped out of the booth and let Sybil out, and then the three men sat back down again.

"Good night," Lily said with a wide-eyed look on her face. She'd just tried to take a few steps and had been startled when her legs hadn't gone exactly where she'd thought they were going. 

Taura snickered at her, then glanced at the men at the table. "Night, gentlemen and Sirius."

"Night ladies," Remus said politely, looking very amused. The others echoed it, though Sirius gave Taura an annoyed look.

"I foresee a lot of vomiting in the morning," Sybil said, straight faced as they began trying to help Lily walk.

Surprised she had a sense of humor, however pathetic it was, Sirius snorted with laughter.

Lily scowled. "Oh, shush up, Syb. I'm just a little dizzy, that's all."

"She'll be making friends with the porcelain goddess come morning," Taura agreed. "Even I'll admit to foreseeing that."

Much to the amusement of the three men, Lily sent a rude gesture in her direction before they giggled their way out the door.

James shook his head a bit and finished off his drink. "Charming group, don't you think?"

"I was quite interested," Peter said as he joined them, sitting next to Remus and across from Sirius. He carried with him a bottle of whiskey. "Would you believe that that woman nearly beat me up because I said I didn't want to sleep with her?"

The other three exchanged looks. "No," they said together.

Peter snorted. "Well, it's true. But she was kind of annoying and clingy, so I didn't."

Sirius took the bottle from Peter and began filling everyone's glasses. "Likely story."

Peter sneered at him. "At least I didn't have to sit around on my ass, like a dick, and talk with Sybil."

Sirius nearly growled. "Sod off, you little-"

"Such language," James said automatically, stopping them. "Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Then he winced. "Probably not, eh?" He took a long drink.

So did Sirius. His mother had been dead for some time now, but it was still a rather tasteless comment. If it had been from anyone but James, he probably would have said so.

"You've been rather quiet tonight, Sirius," Remus observed to change the subject, swirling his drink around. "Anything the matter?"

Sirius shrugged. "Feeling a bit deprived, and very ready to find a woman, but that's about it."

"Thanks so much for sharing," Peter grumbled. "You make it sound like you have a woman every night, and it's killing you not to tonight."

Sirius smirked slowly. "You met Rosmerta, Albert's daughter? She's twenty years old, from the Highlands, and has frequented my apartment every night for the past week."

"Congratulations," Remus said, looking annoyed- he did not approve of sleeping with a woman if she was nothing more than a fling. "That's a fabulous thing- will you add another notch to the bedpost?"

Sirius would have likely told him yes, but noticed James was pouring yet another shot of fire whisky into his glass. He frowned. "Planning on getting rip-roaring sotted, Jim-Bo?"

James shrugged. "Possibly. Haven't decided quite yet. Depends if you and Remie-Poo are going to keep at it all night."

Remus grinned, shrugging his shoulders. "Depends on if Petie-Pie is going to keep his mouth shut and not help me."

Peter scowled at the nick name, just as much as the other two had- of course, he still had to come up with a good name for Sirius, and there wasn't much that flowed together properly… "Depends if ickle-Siri's gonna shut his trap or not."

Sirius shrugged. "Unlikely."

"I concur," Remus said with a grin.

"I wish otherwise, but I'll drink to that," James said, raising his glass.

The others followed suit.

"So what's the deal?" Peter asked, setting his mostly empty glass down- he didn't really like whiskey, but the other three preferred it, unless there was good beer available- and the Three Broomsticks was not known for anything but Butterbeer, so… He looked over at James. "Why're you so depressed today. Sirius said you were getting better."

Sirius kicked him under the table as James gave them all an amused look. "How sweet. You're all checking up on me." He set his drink down and leaned back against the seat, drumming his fingers on the table. "Got a letter from the solicitor today," he said, deciding to oblige them and let them in on the secrets of his unhappiness. "One of the ventures dad went in on before he died hit the pay dirt. I've got to go into London of the winter holidays and get it taken care of."

Peter was puzzled. "That's a good thing though, isn't it?"

James nodded a bit. "Just reminded me a bit too much of Dad. He told me a little about the investment, but I wasn't paying attention- we were watching a Quidditch Match between Puddlemere and Wimborne. It was a week before..." James trailed off, sighing.

Sirius scowled- he still believed that James should have played Quidditch instead of being an Auror, but that was life, wasn't it? He concentrated on the subject at hand. "Is it a bad thing that you remembered him?"

James emulated Remus and began swirling his drink as he thought about it. Finally, he shrugged, leaning back against the booth. "Probably not. No, because, well, I miss him. Yes, because it still hurts pretty bad when I do remember him."

"It's not gonna be sunshine and daisies," Remus said practically. "It's been, what, three months? Considering everything, you're doing damn good to be this well off."

James shrugged. "Well. Maybe. 'Course, there's more to it than that."

"What else?" Peter asked, puzzled.

James paused to take another drink, then gave Sirius a slightly amused, slightly annoyed look. "I don't like sitting on the sidelines very much. All that's been going on with Voldemort, it's driving me mad that I can't do anything."

Remus nodded a little. "Been reading the paper lately, have you?"

Peter gave Sirius a look as well, then frowned at James. "Or was it listening to Sirius blabber on and on?"

James shrugged. "Probably a bit of both." Sirius fought a smirk back. He was glad to hear that was paying off after all... James continued. "But the thing is, I don't want to go back, not yet. I don't like the fact that I'm not out there doing something, but I don't think I could deal with it if something… Well, if something like last time happened. Yet *not* doing anything is just as bad."

Sirius frowned. "You talk to Dumbledore about it? He's probably got something you could do."

James shrugged. "He's done a lot for me already. I don't want to bother him."

Sirius wouldn't let him finish that thought. "He'd be happy to do something like that for you, Jimmy-boy. Aside from the rather disturbing fact that there aren't many who would volunteer to help, he knows you're loyal to him, and that's all he needs from you. Ask him and I'm sure he'll come up with something for you to do."

James shrugged and sighed. "I probably will." They fell quiet for a while, then James looked up with a small grin. "So, have I always been such a blathering prat?"

Snorts of laugher. "Certainly," Sirius assured him. "Haven't I always told you that?"

Peter laughed. "If he believed everythign you told him, he'd have-uh, I don't know, had to do a lot of dumb things."

Sirius gave him a friendly sneer. "Nice one, Pete. First class."

Peter flushed a little.

James rolled his eyes and took a drink, and Remus looked to Peter, changing the subject. "How's the new job going?"

"New job?" James asked with a frown.

Peter looked a little nervous. "I'm, uh, working for the Ministry now. It's kinda boring, but, hey, it pays." He laughed nervously. His friends weren't surprised by the unease of his tone and laugh- he was always in danger of losing his job, and therefore, was never one to talk much about it. This was no exception, as he quickly looked at Sirius. "How 'bout you?"

Sirius shrugged. "Bagged three a week ago, but that's about it- they've apparently figured out we know where their meeting place is, and found a new one."

"That always stinks," Remus said dryly. 

Sirius shrugged, averting his eyes. "I never like it when the bad guys wisen up."

"I meant to ask you," Remus said suddenly, sitting back. "Did you all get the invitation to dinner over Christmas break with Dumbledore?"

Sirius blinked. "I'd forgotten about that- yeah, I did. What's it all about?"

Peter shrugged. "I got one too- I'm not real sure."

"You've got the Dumbledore connections," Sirius said to James, frowning. "What is it?"

James shook his head, frowning. "I didn't get an invitation, so I'm more lost than you are."

Peter dug in his pocket and a moment later, pulled out a crinkled envelope with a gold seal on it- it was not the traditional Hogwarts seal that Dumbledore used, but his personal one, a phoenix rising from the ashes.

James took it from him and opened it, frowning even more as he skimmed the short invitation.

_Dear Mr Pettigrew,_

_I should like to request your presence at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on the 26th of December, at five o'clock in the evening. Dinner will be served, followed by a meeting in which I shall explain my purpose to you and those gathered._

_I sincerely hope to see you once more. Please send a reply within a few days._

_Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Holder of Various Other Fancy Titles._

James snorted. "That's Albus alright. Short, to the point, and leaves you utterly clueless."

"Why weren't you invited though?" Remus wondered with a frown.

James shrugged. "It's just as well- I'd planned on going out to the solicitor and the cemetery around then. I need to see that everything is being taken care of properly."

The other three exchanged worried looks, clearly wondering if a trip to see the graves of his family was a wise idea- it would be Christmas time then, an emotionally trying time already, and the grief was still very new...

James sighed and gave them each a long look, telling them not to fret for him. "Don't worry," he said patiently, purposely mis-understanding their concerns in hopes of lightening their spirits. "I promise I won't egg any graves, and I'll leave the paint at home."

Surprised by the rather light-hearted response, the other three grinned.

A small step towards normal was always worth a grin.

**kellie**: Sorry for the delay, but I've finally updated!  
**Moony**: Glad you're liking that Sybil's in it. As to Arabella being older than Lily and James, well, I go back and forth- if she's as old as I see her portrayed in the first book, there aren't all that many ways that I cna think that Lily and James would get to know here- so, the idea of some kind of aging potion makes things a lot more interesting.  
**bridgits**: I UPDATED! :o) Thanks for reviewing- Twice!!  
**Nicole**: Glad you liked the vandalism scene, and glad you felt for poor Jamesie.  
**Musicizdbest**: lol- is stuff that happens fast bad? :o) Wow, you read it all at once? I'm honored! :o) Especially honored for all of the extra reviews!  
**Julie Jewelrannah**: Glad you "love this story"!  
**Preppygirl**: Sorry, I got slow!  
**Slytherin Sweetheart**: More embarassing situations? I'll work something out, I promise... Maybe. And Sybil's situation will be revealed as I get more towards the end.  
**sammi**: Glad you like the story, sorry for the delay in updates.  
**Aileron**: What, you don't like sexy!snogging!James? :o) lol- glad you like the way he's portrayed, but I'll warn you that he'll probably get mushy later on. I'm a sucker for mushiness. You're reading the chapters out of order? Wow, that's unusual. :o) I don't think i could handle doing that with *any* story... Glad you're liking their professions, and thank you very much for reviewing twice!  
**Got Harry?**- lol, glad you like the chapter. Sorry it took me so long. It's not because I was trying for perfect, but because of my issues... lol, glad you enjoyed!  
**Lavender**- lol, glad to hear from you. Thank you for your compliments, but I'm really not pleased with how the first chapter turned out, so yeah... :o) And I know it's awful- I'm thrilled that I'm a bitch to him! Well, I've got a reason for James being the DADA professor, and it'll make predictable sense later on. lol, you started to believe I sucked? What made you stop? lol, I'll talk to you later. Thanks for reviewing!!  
**thewalrus**- I'll try to work on Sybil's character, but I'm really trying to make sure it's not all about her- it's an L/J story, but she's an important char. Thanks for the suggestion! I'll certainly try to work on that!  
**Iris cream**- lol, short reviews are cool, so thanks!  
**Rider of Rohan**- Lord of the Rings fan? Cool beans. :o) Glad you liked "Cupid". It seemed like something a young girl would name her first own, so... :o) As to "mudblood" with a lowercase letter, I did that on purpose- it's supposed to be written that way on the wall, with the lowercase letter. I know it was supposed to be capitalized because it was at the beginning of the senteance. Hope I haven't turned you off the story forever!  
**alexz**- lol, glad you're enjoying.  
**Twisted Rose**- Glad you're liking!  
**mogliecat**- Ah, a reviewer from other stories! Thanks for checking this one out! Glad you like the way it's going, and hope you continue enjoying.  
**Emily Woodmark**- AGlad you're liking!  
**Quack Quack 88**- lol- I don't know about perfectly done, but thank you very much. lol, "No one could have written this as well as you did." *blushes* I feel special... :o) Glad St. Lily is gone. Please feel free to let me know if she returns!  
**Jemi Fal**- Another review for me? I feel special! Glad you wanted to cry - I mean that in a good way- and glad you're glad the new chapter came out.  
**mooncancer**- lol, sorry for the delay on the update, but I'm working as fast as I can. I'll try and hurry up the romance, but no promises!  
**BluMoo**- Glad you're feeling sorry for Sybil... We'll see how long that lasts. *wicked grin* Anyway... I think likeable is a word... I'm too lazy to check right now though. Thanks for reviewing!

Again, thank you all so much for reviewing. I really appreciate your continued support, it truly means a lot to me. I can't believe I've gotten this many reviews! :o)   
If you're planning on gracing me with a review for this chapter, here are a few things I was wondering about...

-Does it start okay? (Sybil and Lily working out their problems.) I'm not sure I pulled this off very well- Sybil seemed like she was still a little flat to me, and I think Lily brushed off their problems a little too easily.   
-Does Sirius's frustration but acceptance of the situation at the bar work out okay? I want to be clear that he's a bit annoyed at being shoved aside by his friends, but willing to put up with it.  
-What did you think of the male bonding at the end? Was that believable? Did their conversation make sense? Is James's healing making sense? Is it going at a good speed? Is everything going smoothly between them?   
-Did the ending play out okay? I wasn't sure about ending the chapter in the way it turned out, but I wanted it to be somewhat light-hearted.  
-I'm interested in comments about how James is dealing and should be dealing with his grief- any advice on what he should be feeling right about now?  
-What about when he goes to see the graves of his family? I'm also interested in opinions on when you think he would be ready to look for a relationship with Lily. 

Any comments you want to make are more than welcome! Please!!!  
If you couldn't read the new prolouge, go back and reload the page!!


	7. Chapter Six

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
Summary: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition.... This Chapter: James goes to London and the estate, very emotional times.   
Characters: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
Rating: PG-13  
Sorry for the delays! James was being very difficult!  
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_Chapter Six_

All who had gone out that night were miserably sick the next morning. Sybil walked around offering predictions of death to anyone who spoke to her, Taura promised to throw the next person who mentioned food out the window of the North Tower, and Lily threatened to sick a toaster on the next person who spoke too loud or mentioned her green completion. (The threat worked because no one knew what a toaster was, but it sounded quite frightening) James swore that he'd prank anyone who brought about the next bout of sickness, but then had to take that back when the house-elves tried to help him by bringing him breakfast. The breakfast sent him running for the toilet, but the house-elves were far too nice for him to scream at. Sirius, Remus, and Peter had all stayed at Sirius's place in Hogsmeade, which was conveniently near to an apothecary who stocked special potions to take away hangovers.

At last when the hang-overs had faded away- for the most part- life went on.

The next week passed quickly, and soon enough, it was the night before the students would go home for Christmas break. James was seated in his classroom, trying to get a stack of tests graded so that students could have them before the break. There would only be one class tomorrow, but it was his biggest one. He planned to give them the test and then let them relax for the rest of class. He didn't think it was likely that anyone would be paying attention to anything he had to say anyway. 

Engrossed in the seemingly never-ending stack of papers in front of him, he didn't realize anyone was at his door until they cleared their throat.

James motioned to the visitor to wait a moment, marking a few things on the paper. Then he looked up, and winced, realizing that it wasn't a student. "Oh, sorry, Albus. Come in, please. Like any tea? I just made it a bit ago. Oh," he said, glancing at his watch. "Maybe a bit longer than that. I can make fresh anyway."

Dumbledore shook his head, smiling pleasantly. "Alas, I've not the time for tea- I've promised Minerva to meet her to discuss the points for the houses today. I've soley come to ask you if you would join me and a group of the staff and several former students for dinner on the twenty-sixth."

James glanced at his calendar by reflex- he already knew what his plans were. But he could easily reschedule the appointment with the solicitor, perhaps to go before Christmas...

"If you're busy," Albus said. "I could certainly speak to you about it before or after that night."

James shook his head. "I'll be going to London for part of the holiday, and out to the estate for another part, but nothing that can't be rescheduled."

"Then nothing important?" Albus pried, but James suspected that he knew what it was about.

He shrugged, meeting Dumbledore's gaze. "Necessary business."

"Ah," the Headmaster nodded and smiled sadly, and again, James had the feeling that Dumbledore knew what he was planning. "I look forward to your presence. I shall send a reminder to you sometime over break. If you would excuse me, I must catch Professor McGonagall now, as she mentioned she would like to speak to me tonight."

James nodded and watched as he left, then turned back to the stack of papers.

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The following day, all of the students were ushered out of the school. The dozen students that had chosen to stay were off in their houses for the rest of the night, and James figured that the following two weeks would be rather boring.

And so he contacted his solicitor and made an appointment to see him, packed a bag and set off to find Dumbledore to tell him farewell.

He ran into Sybil first- she was walking down the hall intending to go upstairs. 

Sybil was a woman he didn't understand. She was quiet and a little shy, and that was okay, but the predictions she made (the ones that came true and the ones that didn't) puzzled him and made him a little uncomfortable. He had, at the start of the term, made a silent promise to try and get along with her, though she often annoyed him, simply because she was a teacher. It also helped that she was one of Lily's best friends, but that was another matter entirely.

She didn't seem to like him. James wasn't particularly sensitive about who liked him or not, but he didn't always understand why. And in this case, he was extremely puzzled- it had been a long time since he and Sirius had swapped the shampoo in the girl's bathroom for hair dye, and that certainly wasn't much of a reason to dislike him so much.

The look she gave him was almost a frightened one, and she sped up as she got closer to him, avoiding his gaze, though he had smiled at her. She hurried past him and he frowned and looked after her, wondering what he had done-

"Don't worry about it," said a friendly voice.

James turned and gave Lily a small smile. "I was just wondering what I'd done..."

Lily shrugged, clearly knowing something, but not telling. "It's not important. Are you off today?"

He shifted the bag on his shoulder. "Yeah. London or bust."

She grinned at him. "Well, mind the gap and you'll be all set."

He gave her a blank look. She burst out laughing. "It's a Muggle thing," she said, still grinning. "Don't worry about it." He nodded a little, not understanding. She tilted her head a little as she looked at him. "How long will you be gone?"

Feeling a little ridiculous- as though he were back in fifth year, talking to Professor Sinastra, whom everyone had thought was hot- he gave her a small smile as he answered. "I'll be back in time for Christmas."

"Well," she said. "We'll have to do something while all the students are gone, when you get back. There's a Muggle town not far away from here. Not very big, but there's a bowling alley and a nice little hole-in-the-wall diner. We can go bowling and get coffee or something, if you're up to it. Have you ever been bowling?"

James looked puzzled. "What is it?"

She laughed. "When you get back, we'll definitely go bowling. Taura and Syb both love it, and if they both agree that it's fun, it's got to be pretty cool." Her eyes twinkled with amusement. "Actually, Dumbledore says he enjoys it too. I keep meaning to get him to go with us one time..." She laughed. "I can see him bowling, and dear Merlin..." She giggled.

He shrugged, unable to stop himself from smiling back at her, though he really didn't understand the humor of it. "Sounds good. I don't know what it is, but sure."

She smiled at him and they began walking down the hall towards the main exit. "It's fun stuff," she said. "But it's easier to show you than explain it." Her eyes twinkled again. "And I'm sure to beat you, so that's a plus."

He laughed. "I can plead first-timer." 

"And I'll still have the satisfaction of saying that I've beaten you," she retorted.

He rolled his eyes. "So what else are you planning to do for the holiday, aside from beating me at mowling."

"Bowling," she corrected. "Like the bowls you eat soup out of."

He gave her another puzzled look. Muggles created the weirdest things... What kind of game could you use a _bowl_ in? "Anyway," he said, shaking his head. "Aside from that. What'll you be doing?"

She sighed. "Sleeping in all the way until eight, maybe. I might even stay up until midnight once or twice."

"Party animal," he accused.

She laughed. "That's me." They started walking down towards the main entrance and exit of the castle. "Will you be here for Dumbledore's dinner?" Lily asked.

James nodded. "Any idea what it's about?"

Lily grinned ruefully. "I was hoping to find out from you."

"Drat," James said with a sigh. "I suppose we'll have to wait."

She nodded a little. "So what are you doing in London, if I can ask?"

He shifted his bag on his shoulder. "My father made a few investments before... well, before. The solicitor's requested that I come look over the current arrangements."

She winced. "Petunia did that when my parents passed away. I was still too young."

James gave her a smile that didn't meet his eyes. "I don't have much of a choice- there isn't anyone else left."

She surprised him by taking his hand and giving it a squeeze. "If there's anything you need, let me know, all right? I know Sirius and your other friends are probably all ready to help you, but if you just want to talk to someone different or need a new perspective, just let me know."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Lily."

Their eyes met for a brief moment. She smiled back, dropping his hand. "Have a safe trip."

"See you in a few days," he said.

He glanced back when he got to the bottom of the steps, to the carriage that was waiting for him.

She was still in the doorway, watching him.

Unable to stop himself from grinning, he quickly looked away and climbed into the carriage, knowing that the image of her looking out of the doorway after him would be in his mind for quite a while.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The day after he'd left Hogwarts for the break, James found himself entering the cemetery his parents and family had been buried in. 

The Potter plot was towards the back, and he walked slowly. He didn't dread the trip the way he'd dreaded it a few months ago, but it was still not going to be the happiest moment of his life. He carried several small boxes, minimized floral arrangements for his family and for the Black family graves- Sirius rarely visited the cemetery, and his family lived too far away to have the opportunity.

He reached their graves first and spent a few moments cleaning the headstones off. It had been a while since anyone had visited, and James refreshed some of the anti-growth spells on the headstones and then laid the floral arrangements in their proper places. Then he stood up and enlarged them. He waited for a moment to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything, and then continued his trek to the back of the cemetery, growing colder with each passing step- and the biting wind was only part of the problem.

The Potter plot was marked by a large plaque of sorts bearing the family standard, a stag with gold and red and purple highlights. Directly behind were the oldest graves of the family- one from 1542 and another from 1546. They were not the first Potters, of course, but the first to have been buried in this plot. There were two other graves in the entire cemetery that were older- and they were both in the Malfoy section. The traditionally bloody rivalry dated back to the date that a Potter had killed a Malfoy in 1532- and that grave was the oldest in the cemetery.

From where he stood, James could just make out the very top of the very grand and attention grabbing statue the Malfoy's had placed. He looked away from it and sighed as he slowly walked up the long row of graves, watching as the years grew more and more recent, the front row starting recent and then winding around again, a snakelike chronological pattern.

When he reached the last row, he walked up through the grass until he reached the graves of his grandparents and the aunt he'd never met, and paused there to straighten their headstones and place flowers. And then he sighed and moved on to the next headstones- the ones that would hurt the most.

He cleaned them up first, not looking at the names on them. He knew if he looked, he wouldn't be able to deal with the grief. It didn't take long- someone was taking care of the sites for him. He knew it was either Mrs. Lupin or Mrs. Pettigrew, and decided to stop by and thank them after he took care of business and before he went out to the estate.

When the very last grave was cleaned and the flowers were placed before them, he stepped back, noting that it looked odd- ten headstones in a row, all with similar flower arrangements in them. He grinned wryly, unhappily. There weren't a lot of people who lost so many people within such a short period of time- especially in the wizarding world, where the average age varied depending upon the purity of the bloodline. The Potters were exceptionally long lived- or so they thought. The Potters had a history of getting involved in dangerous things, and the vast majority never reached a healthy old age.

His family was no exception, he though with a heavy heart. He sighed once more and sank to his knees in front of his parents graves. "I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been here," he said quietly, as always, finding it awkward to speak as though they were there- but it was soothing in a way, and so he didn't stop. "I told you I was going to Hogwarts again, and I did. It's been interesting. I don't know if I'd say fun, but it's a change from the Ministry- a break."

He hesitated for a moment, then sat down the rest of the way in the muddy grass. He could always apparate to the hotel to change before his meeting in the afternoon.

"I know it's stupid," he said. "But I feel like this is my fault. Like I should have tried harder, or I should have known that he was coming for you, and been there and stopped him somehow. And I know that it couldn't have happened- I've thought about it over and over again and I made myself think of what could have gone different. And there's no reason that I should have know what was coming. Alastor didn't even know Voldemort was planning an attack that night." James rubbed his eyes. "But I still feel like I should have done something. You both always told me I blamed myself for everything, and I have to stop... But I'm having a pretty rough time doing that. Sirius is helping, a lot. He moved up to Hogsmeade. I've seen him at least once a week." James managed a small grin. "One day I'm sure we'll have to part ways for a while, and it'll kill us, but for now... Well, I'm glad he's there."

He managed another grin. "He's been flirting with a few of the women up there. Rosemerta Wyers, Taura Sinastra and Lily Evans, and even Sybil Trelawney. Rosemerta told him she's met someone else a few days ago. Taura seems to be interested in Remus. I don't know how serious they are- we'll find out the first time the full moon cancels her plans, I suppose. Sybil's pretty, Sirius said, but she's far too focused on divination and such. And Lily..." James sighed. "Well, I think I've, uh, developed an interest in Lily Evans. The head girl."

With sudden vividness, he could see his family's reaction. His brother laughing hysterically with his sister in law rolling her eyes. His sisters giggling at him, teasing him because he "liked a girl!" His father hiding a smirk and asking for details, and his mother beaming with pleasure, getting teared up. "She's beautiful, she's funny, she's smart. She's someone I could see myself with," he murmured. 

He felt very odd suddenly. His parents would never see him married. They'd never kiss their grand-children by him, or kiss their second daughter-in-law. 

Not that he knew that Lily would be the woman in question- but he did want to have a family some day, and it had never occurred to him before that they wouldn't be a part of that. "It won't feel right," he said. He remembered the way his father had looked walking Angelina up the aisle, and the way his mother had watched with tear filled eyes, proud and happy for her son. And later, at the reception, she had kissed his cheek and murmured that she couldn't wait for him to be married.

And then he remembered the way that his father had beamed when David had announced that Angelina was pregnant...

"I don't have dreams about you every night any more," he said softly. "But once in a while it hits me what life is like without you all here, and that's when it hurts more." He sighed. "You'd like her. Lily, I mean. I know you talked to her for a minute at the end ceremonies, but not enough to get to know her. You'd like her, I think. She's been through all of this before, when her parents died. Her sister's still alive, but they don't have a very good relationship. She's strong. And she's very smart. She knows a lot about Dark Arts, especially considering she's Muggle born. She's a wonderful teacher- her students love her, and Minerva thinks she walks on water." He managed a small grin. "Of course, she thinks I do too, so I don't know if that's all that impressive of a statement. She wants to do something with bowls over break. I don't know what, but that's not the important part."

He shifted a little, frowning. "She told me a while ago that she didn't think I was ready for a relationship yet, and that we should wait before anything happened. Does it mean something that she wants to go out now? Does it mean that she thinks I'm ready? What the hell makes her think that I'm any different now than I was a month or so ago?" He frowned when he saw a smudge of dirt on the headstone before him and pulled out his handkerchief and began wiping at it. "If I am ready, shouldn't I want to go back to the Ministry? I do feel different than when we talked, but I don't think I could deal with that again- not yet. Mum, it's times like this when I could really use your help. Sirius isn't exactly all that great of a source for help.

"Sirius," he sighed. "He won't say it to my face, but he's being run down. They're so tight for help at the Ministry that he gets two breaks a month, and spends the rest of the time sleeping. Four days a month. It makes it even tougher for them to stay alert, but there's no other choice- Voldemort's keeping everyone tied up. Four Aurors have been killed in the past three months. Thank Merlin Sirius wasn't at any of those attacks. I haven't known any of the Aurors very well. Martin Wallice was one- I had a class with him at Hogwarts, a long time ago, but the other three were older than me. I feel like I should be there. But I don't think I'm ready to be back there, either."

Distracted, he pocketed his handkerchief once more. "Edward Rafferty owled me a few weeks ago. One of your investments paid off. And he wants to talk to me about David's house. I'm going over there in a little while." He glanced down at the headstone with David's name on it. "I think I'm going to end up selling the second house," he said, feeling very uncertain. "I won't sell the manor because it's been in the family so long, but... it's too much of a hassle keeping it and the manor and the beach house."

It just felt very wrong to be selling his brother's home, and he couldn't help but want to rationalize it to his brother.

He suddenly felt the wind hitting him again and stood up, shivering a little. "I've got an appointment for in a few hours, and I'd like to see the Lupins and Mrs. Pettigrew before I go back to the school. So..."

Why did it feel more awkward saying goodbye to his dead family than saying goodbye to anyone else? He could remember dates where he'd left early and it had been more comfortable. He pulled his cloak tighter around him. "I'll be back at Easter," he promised, and for a long moment, stood over the headstones, the wind wretchedly cold. "I love you," he murmured, looking at each of the markers. 

And then he slowly walked away.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The estate was in perfect condition. There was no sign of the violent scene that had taken place a few months ago.

James had already tugged his jacket halfway off by the time he was halfway in the door, several hours having passed since he'd visited the cemetery.

"Mister James?"

He turned, smiling slightly when he saw the shy house-elf poking it's head out of the family room. "Hello, Maddy."

The house-elf squealed. "It is being a long time since you is here," the house-elf said, grinning happily. "We is making a special dinner for you."

James grinned back. "I can smell it. It smells fantastic."

The house-elf beamed. "Maddy is working all day to make it for you. We is even making special scones for tea."

James's mouth watered. "The lemon ones?"

The elf beamed. "Yes!"

"I knew I loved you guys," he said.

The house elf flushed bright red. "Thank you, sir."

"The Pettigrews and Lupins are coming over for a late tea," James said. "Mrs. Pettigrew was just telling me how much she loved those scones. That's two of us who adore them."

The house elf was clearly very pleased. "We is going to make lots of scones for you."

James grinned. "Thanks Maddy. But I was also going to ask them to stay for supper, if you could manage?"

The house elf nodded eagerly. "We is very happy to be making foods for many people. I is going to go to the kitchens right now and tell and we is going to make it a big feast!"

"Thanks," James said. "There will be seven of us, including me. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and the Lupins and Mrs. Pettigrew."

The house elf looked thrilled, and disappeared before James could thank him again.

James laughed softly and made his way up the stairs to his room, pausing to say hello to some of the portraits, all of whom were pleased to see a Potter in the house.

He passed by his parents room on the way up and couldn't help himself. He opened the thick oak door and stepped in.

Light streamed in through the huge windows, falling on the canopy bed that was the centerpiece of the room. His mother's perfume bottles were still on top of the dresser and his father's single bottle of cologne was hidden behind them.

There was a book on the night table on his mother's side- a marker still in it, where she'd left off.

The Daily Prophet from the day of the attacks was still on his father's nightstand.

He dropped his bag by the door and went further in, looking out the window. There was a fantastic view of the property from there.

With a heavy sigh he turned and slipped out again, picking up his bag.

But he stopped in all of the bedrooms first, pausing in his own only to drop his bag in the doorway. David's room was across from his, on the same side as his parents' room. Tiffany and Marie were next to theirs, Tiffany's on James's side of the hall. Little Michael's room was next to Marie's, and filled with all of David's old toys.

The memories that were brought back were wonderful, yet awful- the very definition of bittersweet.

The countless hours he and David had played together when they were younger, and then the times they had stayed up late talking, often with Sirius as well, especially after his parents had died. And of course, the time he'd walked in on David and his fiancée when they were rather involved... A small grin on his face, James shut the door on his brother's room, going over to Marie's. 

It was one of the only times James had ever seen it neat- the toys were put away and her clothes were all in the dresser instead of on the floor. Her dolls were lined up neatly. He crossed the room and picked up, touching the soft, brightly colored bear.

It had been on the floor when he'd run inside that night. 

Flinching from the onslaught of emotions that brought up, he set the bear down on the bed. 

Tiffany's room was no less emotional, and Michael's room was all that much harder because of the worn blanket neatly folded at the end of his bed. The house-elves had always put it there when he dropped it somewhere, and then he'd always come back for it. It had been the same at his house, and James wondered if David's house-elves had done the same thing for Michael at their house- the two house elves his brother had now inherited now lived in the Potter mansion, occasionally returning to the other house to be sure that it still looked nice, and everything was taken care of.

James shut the door on his nephew's room and returned to his own, barely looking around- like the rest of the house, it had remained unchanged. He lifted his bag up and dropped it on his bed, pulling out the few things he'd bothered to bring home and dropping them on the bed. Then he stripped out of the dark blue robes and he'd been wearing earlier and pulled on slacks and a white shirt, as the ones he'd worn earlier had been rather muddy from the cemetery, and he'd only put a glamour on them to hide the stain for a bit.

That done he washed up the rest of the way and went downstairs, just as the doorbell was ringing.

The house elves would get it, he knew, and stayed in the sitting room, looking out the window at the snow which was just beginning to fall.

"Mr. James," said Maddy. "Mr. and Mrs. and Mr. Lupins is being here now."

James nodded. "Show them in and bring the tea please."

"Hello, James," said Mrs. Lupin with a smile, and James crossed over and kissed her cheek and hugged her, then shook hands with Mr. Lupin, then exchanged the usual slap on the back with Remus, who looked especially exhausted- the full moon had been two nights ago.

"Peter and his mother aren't here yet?" Remus wondered as they sat down.

James shook his head. "I think Sirius was going to go by their house before they came."

"They're apparating?" Mrs. Lupin asked, startled.

"They're flooing," James assured her with a grin. "I just didn't tell Sirius that."

"So it's your fault," Sirius accused from the door. Covered with soot, he looked very disheveled and a little green. He'd quickly regretted his decision to move so far away from London because he had the Floo so much. Usually, he apparated in short hops in the morning until he was there, but apparently he'd decided to stick with the Pettigrews and Floo with them that day.

Behind him, a grinning Peter and his mother followed.

Maddy entered carrying a tray, another elf named Soupy with him. "Hello," they said with big smiles. 

Greetings were exchanged, and Sirius lost his bad mood with the news that he was being treated to dinner as well. Two house elves lived with him in his apartment, but both were horrible cooks, though no one would ever tell them that. 

They settled into small talk and sipped tea and ate crumpets, and soon enough, the afternoon had passed and the house elves announced dinner was ready.

James took Mrs. Pettigrew's arm, and with Peter on her other side, accompanied her into the dining room. En route, he offered her a quiet thanks for her help at the cemetery. she gave him a weepy smile. "I liked your parents a lot, James," she said, and then looked over at Peter. "And for everything you've done for Pete, it's the least I can do."

Peter looked a little embarrassed.

James smiled a little. "I wouldn't say it's what we've done for him- he's something else."

"If you're quite done talking about me like I'm not here," Peter muttered, irritated and embarrassed. His ears were red.

Mrs. Pettigrew sniffed and kissed her son on the cheek. "Oh, hush up, dear."

Hiding a grin at Peter's expression, James entered the dining room behind Sirius and the rest. It was uncomfortable for him to sit at the head of the table, but he did it anyway. At least this was something he'd done before- his father had often been absent from dinner because of work, and after David had moved out, James had been the eldest male in the house, and so he had been given that responsibility. 

But still, it was a little different with no one sitting at the other end of the table, and non-blood relatives on the other sides. 

Sirius was on his left, then Mrs. Pettigrew and Peter. To his right was Remus and further down were the Lupins.

The meal was as excellent as tea, and by the time they were finished eating, all were stuffed to the gills. 

Mrs. Lupin sighed and set her fork down. "I swear, James, your house elves are marvelous."

Mr. Lupin laughed. "Yes, how much does it cost to hire them? A year's salary?" He laughed, and Mrs. Lupin looked amused. 

"Well," Mrs. Lupin said. "I could use the company at least." She gave her son a pointed look. "Some people are just too busy to come home and visit anymore."

Remus groaned softly- clearly this topic had been broached before.

James laughed. "Too busy with Taura to visit your mum?"

Mrs. Lupin looked interested. "Taura?"

Remus gave him an annoyed look. "How's Lily, James?"

James smirked at him. "Quite well, last I saw her. We're doing something with bowls when I get back."

"Bowls?" Sirius and Peter wondered, giving him puzzled looks.

Remus snorted. "Bowling, you mean?"

James nodded, puzzled by the amused look the werewolf had on his face.

Mr. Lupin laughed out loud with his son, the two having spent much time with a Muggle cousin of theirs. "Don't forget to bring your favorite bowl with you then," Remus said, his eyes twinkling. "It's not nearly as fun when you have to borrow someone else's."

James frowned at him. "Lily didn't mention-" He cut himself off, realizing that Remus was doing nothing more than harassing him and rolled his eyes, but not before Remus and his father started laughing again.

Sirius grinned, thinking clearly enough to have figured out the humor already. "Gullible today, James?"

James snorted. "Something like that."

"So who's this Lily?" asked Mrs. Pettigrew, changing the subject again. "And is Taura the astronomy teachers? Sinister or something?"

"Taura Sinastra," Remus said with a sigh. "She's the astronomy professor, yes." He gave his mother an irritated look. "And don't get excited- she knows what I am, but we haven't talked about it, and it's not serious."

"Then what on Earth were you doing all those times you two disappeared?" Sirius asked, giving him an innocent look.

Remus flushed.

Everyone else laughed at him. 

"Changing the subject," Peter said with sympathy for his werewolf friend. "How's your holiday been so far, Potter? Lucky git that you are with a two week break."

Sirius winced. "I'm sure it's been lovely, Pete. Do you remember what we talked about earlier?"

Peter stared at him, then his eyes widened and he sent an apologetic look towards James. "Sorry, I forget that you were- um, yeah, I didn't remember-"

"It's okay," James said, shrugging. "It wasn't as bad as I'd feared." The Lupins looked puzzled. "I went up to the cemetery today," he explained. "I had wanted to thank you and Mrs. Pettigrew for taking care of everything while I was gone. I appreciate it."

Mrs. Lupin sighed. "It's the least we can do, James. You and Sirius are like Remus's brothers, and I feel like you're two more sons. Three, with Peter. And we're up there anyway for my mother, so it's not all that hard to swing by the Black and Potter plots."

Sirius looked up sharply, his eyes dark and shadowed with memories and anguish- in many ways, he had never really recovered from his parents' deaths. "You... for my parents?"

Mrs. Pettigrew patted his hand. "Of course, dear."

Sirius looked very surprised, and very uncomfortable.

James cleared his throat a little, drawing attention from Sirius. "Well, whatever the reasons, thank you for doing it. I'd considered hiring someone to do it, but I feel better that you could do it while I was gone for so long. It should work out that I can come back a bit more often for the rest of the year."

"Even if you don't, it's not a problem," Mrs. Pettigrew said matter-of-factly. "My husband was a Muggle, of course, so the spells at his site aren't as powerful. I've got to go back every few months and fix them up."

"Changing the subject," Remus said. "You went to the solicitor's office too, didn't you? Is everything okay?"

James took a long drink and sat back in the chair, the reminder sending an odd shiver through him. "Yeah. I did. Dad's stocks tripled."

They all looked at him. Daxius Potter's name had been made dealing in the market- he'd been known because he was a Potter, but his first big pay-off had introduced him to the world as a major player- and everyone knew he had invested heavily. "Tripled?" Sirius repeated. "Merlin, Jim. I don't know the details, but your dad had a fortune invested."

James nodded. "How else did you think I could afford to have you three over for dinner? Before it was just going to be your parents. I like them better anyway."

"We appreciate the financial sacrifice," Remus said dryly.

"I take donations," Sirius said. "And I'm sure they all do too."

Peter hit him upside the head. "Sorry mum," he said when Mrs. Pettigrew glared at him for his rude behavior. "But he deserved it, and you know it."

Sirius rubbed his head. "Pettigrew, if your mother weren't here, I'd tell you exactly what I think of you."

James snorted and gave the Lupins and Mrs. Pettigrew a friendly smile. "You should be impressed. Sirius is really on good behavior."

He ducked when Sirius tried to hit him.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

At Hogwarts, Lily sat in silence, staring at the book she wasn't reading and wondering what James was doing. It was the twenty third, and he had said he would be back in time for the Christmas Eve feast. 

She'd never felt quite so excited about anyone, even back when she'd been attending classes, rather than teaching them. The very thought that she would see him in just one more day sent shivers through her.

There was something about James Potter that was making her crazy, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

But she'd already decided that she wouldn't try to prevent it any more. That was why she'd suggested bowling to him- it would be an easy time to see him alone, away from Hogwarts and without all of his friends around, and figure out what he was really like.

She wanted to get to know him better, she wanted him to get to know her, and, indulging herself in a momentary bought of hormones, she wanted to snog him senseless, ridiculous hair and all.

With a sigh, she closed the book and marked the page. She wasn't getting anything productive done, and holding the book open was doing nothing more than aggravate her fingers and crease the binding. 

She yawned as she stood up and stretched and glanced out the window at the dark grounds, and then the Muggle clock on the desk near the front of the room. It was nearing eleven now. 

Tonight would not be the night she reached midnight, she thought with a grin, remembering the conversation she'd had with James before he left.

She climbed up the stairs and crawled into bed, turning out the lights and pulling the covers over her.

And she dreamt of a strong embrace and comforting eyes, and love.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Sybil's dreams were far less pleasant.

It was the seventh time in seven days that Sybil had been awakened by horrible visions, and this time she would not return to bed.

She pulled her dressing gown over her night dress and waved her wand at the candles on her dresser, and on the tables throughout her bedroom.

Lily would still be asleep, and likely, about as much help as someone like Sirius Black.

Her stomach jolted a little at the thought of him, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the dream that she'd just had or just that he made her feel funny.

She shuddered a little. "I am not going to go for that madman," she declared out loud, and stuffed her feet into her slippers, grabbed her Tarot Cards from beneath her pillow and went into the attached classroom.

Her scrying glass was on her desk. That wouldn't work. Tarot Cards were too unclear. No tea leaves for the same reason. It would be the crystal ball.

She seated herself before it and took several deep breaths before she began to focus.

Her hands a few centimeters from the glowing orb, she immediately began seeing things- shapes from her dreams.

The stag, toward the front. The Grim and that awful rat, behind the stag. The shadows creeping over them, hiding them from her view.

And then the fog slunk away and left behind blood. So much, running crimson, staining the skin of the man and woman left lying on the ground, half enveloped by the black fog. The woman was Lily. The man was James. He was also the stag. She didn't know how she knew, but she did know.

She also knew that, for whatever reason James was dead, it was his fault that Lily was dead too.

She shuddered and waved her hands over the crystal, clearing it. She stood and went back into her room.

She would do a reading for Lily this afternoon. It was urgent. Whether Lily liked it or not, the fact was, Potter was dangerous- he would lead to her death.

Sybil felt terror rush through her. She couldn't stand the thought of losing Lily. Lily had been her best friend, her sister, the one person in the world she trusted for a long time. To lose her would be to lose everything.

Sybil forced herself to calm down. She was over reacting. 

But she remembered another dream she'd had, years ago in second year, a week before her parents had been killed. It had come true, and the consequences had been horrible- Sybil wasn't sure she could deal with such a wretched thing happening again, not when she'd dreamt of it and could have stopped her parents from dying. 

But Lily hadn't believed her the last time they talked about it. 

Sybil wiped her eyes, a little startled to find her hand came away damp.

Shuddering, she began dressing for the day.

She would talk to Lily- she had to. The alternative was just too grim.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

**everblue3**- Well, I originally had intended to not bother mentioning the morning after scenes, but since you mentioned it, it sounded fun, and thus, Lily's threatening with toasters and Sybil's predicting death. :o) Very glad you're liking Sybil, because as fruity as she is I like her too. lol- I'm a huge fan of your stuff, so I'm glad you like mine too. :o) I'm going to go back and work on previous chapters as I work on the new chapters, so thank you very much for your comments about Sirius- I did see them and I will be working on him. One thing though- I've looked all over- where did I say it was the first time James visited the graves? I really didn't see it, and it's not supposed to be, and if I did say it, I've got a major edit to do! Lol- you put it perfectly, describing what James needs that Sirius can't do. I'll have you know that your comments have made me stress out over the grave scene- in a good way, mind you. Lol- "we have faith in your ability to maneuver your characters to where you'd like them to be." You mean, I'm supposed to know how this story goes? Okay, so I do know where they need to go, it's just getting there... Well, thanks for the faith! And for the fantabulous review!! Anymore "Outrunning Our Shadows" soon? :o) Thank you also for reviewing Rain-Sweetened Kisses. Sorry NYC weather sucked- but don't worry, I'm very familiar with crappy weather. Michigan has the honor of being surrounded by a bunch of really large lakes, and with our location being rather northernly and all, we get *loads* of weird weather. We just got loads of snow- that sucked, because it got really cold and tough to drive in. The rain Lily and James were in was *totally* different from the rain we got when I wrote that, too. :o) lol, and I'm glad you liked the lack of sex- once in a while I get in the mood to write a nice G-rated fic, and that was it. Also glad you didn't hate the non-substance of it. Thanks for the kind words! And sorry if I've already replied to any of this (I'm getting confused). :o)  
**Destiny's Phoenix**- lol- I'm pretty glad you found it again too. Thanks for the review for this and my other fic!! **  
Iris cream**- Glad you're liking, sorry it's slow on the romance. That'll be picking up in a few chapters, don't worry. Sorry, I won't be ignoring Peter- he's a very important character in the Harry Potter story, whether we like him or not, and if I ignore him, I feel like I'm trying to take away from JKR's brilliance, and then I feel guilty and it just all goes downhill from there. :o( So, sorry, I can't ignore him. Thanks for reviewing though- and thank you for reviewing the other story too, and sorry the giggling irritated you.**  
StormMuse aka Nicole:** Glad you're liking, and especially glad you like the male bonding. Comments about drinks and Sybil at the bottom. **  
Jemi Fal**- Glad you liked the bonding, and thank you for reviewing yet again! And thank you for reading and reviewing Rain Sweetened Kisses. I'm glad it made your day better!! **  
Stating-the-obvious**- Glad you're enjoying the story!! Don't worry, Sirius'll get a girl... For a while, and then I'll make him miserable again! :o) **  
Mooky**: I'm really glad to hear you liked the new prologue- I was *really* unhappy with the old version. And I'm glad you like chapter six and Sybil. Thanks! **  
kellie**: It was worth being late? *grin* Thanks! I feel honored! **  
Twisted Rose**: Thanks for reviewing, and sorry it wasn't up sooner! **  
Aileron**- lol- I'm confusing myself by what I've said to you via e-mail and reviews to your stories, so you'll have to settle for a *huge* thank you for your review- and for e-mailing me. :o)**  
Got Harry**- Thanks for the compliments. :o) Okay, I think I'll need to be working on the beginning of that chapter- everyone seems to agree with me. But glad you thought the male bonding worked. I'm one who blubbers at the first sign of trouble, so I'm having a hard time figuring out how much emotion is appropriate to show, and trying not to turn him into a blubbering wimp- like me. :o) I've been trying to imagine horrible things happening and how I'd react, but, to be honest, I can't do it very well. I've got the immediate shock of it pretty well figured out- it's just, what happens in the months and weeks after? Thanks for all of the help, and I'm glad you like the new prologue!!  
**LaQuinn**- I'll try not to "stall" the relationship too much longer. Thanks!  
**lllll original lllll**- lol, glad you're liking! Thanks for also reviewing the other fic!  
**_Rain-Sweetened Kisses Reviewers: _medevil princess**- Thanks for the review, even the "flame". :o) As to the lack of description in Rain-Sweetened Kisses, I did that on purpose- it was meant to be a short easy fic, and I wanted to keep it very, very basic. I don't quite understand what you mean about the to be verbs though. I guess our writing styles are just meant to be different. Sorry you didn't like it so much! Much thanks also to: **Apolla, dancer24, Scarlett*Eyes, Grim-Wolf, Lily-White, Darcel, Liat86, winney, Senna, and Amelia**. Seems like many of you felt like a fluffy little fic, so glad I could help! :o)

**Comments/Suggestions Requested on...**  
- Sybil's predictions so far and for a while are not the same as the one in Prisoner of Azkaban. In the PoA prediction, she doesn't know a thing about what's going on, and when she comes out of it, she doesn't remember it. The dream she had was a _dream_, not a "prediction" in the same sense as used in PoA. More of it will be explained as the fic goes on. If that doesn't cut it for you, well, count it up as something I decided to change from the books.  
- Note on drinks: One reviewer suggested that whiskey would not be the drink of choice for James & Co. in the previous chapter. What do you think they would drink instead? Did I miss the mention of a more adult Wizarding drink? (I'm not quite to the Hogsmeade scenes in my re(x2,000,000)-reading of PoA, so if anyone can help me out, I'd appreciate it.)  
- How did James at the cemetery go? I had a tough time with that scene, and this is the best of all the versions I've come up with, though that's not saying much. Is his grieving believable? Do his actions fit the timeline?  
- Obvious hint for you- I'm working towards the L/J relationship. Something will happen between them soon, though I'm not entirely sure how fast. Tell me what you think about that- Is their relationship going at a good speed? Do I need to slow down or speed up, or keep at this pace? All comments and suggestions are welcomed.  
**Coming Soon**... (In anywhere from one to several chapters.) James returns from the estate, everyone celebrates Christmas, Dumbledore's mysterious meeting, Lily and James get more confusion in their relationship, Lily and James get together, more news on Voldemort & Co., and much, much more...  
**Read More**: A fic that comes before this one, dealing with James's career choice: storyid=1279429 or click on my profile to read it.

**_Let's Make a Deal!_**... I'll give up a review from you if you'd do me a huge favor and go read Lavender's fic _Falling Grace_. She just updated, and is having a bad day, so she could use some moral support- and it's a great story!... Click on my name at the top of this page and the link is at the very top of my profile. Or, just cut and past this: storyid=869657


	8. Chapter Seven

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
SUMMARY: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
CHARACTERS: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
RATING: PG-13  
**DEDICATION**: This one goes out to **Aileron**, and **everblue3**, who have both inspired me quite a bit- and made me worry even more about all the little details that I've still got left to go, but I still love 'em anyway. :o) Thank you both *so* much!! You guys are totally awesome to me, and I don't deserve to even type your names... (Yet I'm doing it anyway. Go figure!)  
**NOTES**: I have a thing about torturing characters. And so, this chapter is a rather unhappy one, though it does include a bit of L/J getting closer. (YAY!) Also, I've reworked some of the plot ideas, so if you see *anything* that is contradictory towards what I've said before, please, please, please mention it to me so I can dig myself out of any problems....   
Anyway... Christmas Eve Day comes, along with an unpleasant confrontation, unhappy news, and the reuniting of MWPP...

LILY AND JAMES START UP A BIT!!! :o) (I'm more excited about it than you, I bet!)

_Chapter Seven_

In a warm cloak and scarf and mittens, Lily stepped out of the castle and into the cold.

Snow had started falling about an hour ago, and already it was up to the top of her foot.

It crunched beneath her feet as she walked down the hill towards the lake, where Sybil and Taura were already waiting.

"Happy Christmas Eve Day," said Taura when she turned, having heard her approach.

Lily smiled back. "And to you two."

Sybil gave her a small smile as well, but there were bags under her eyes.

Lily noticed, but didn't say anything. Sybil had confronted her earlier that morning and told her about the dreams she'd been having. It made Lily feel very uncomfortable, but at the same time, it also annoyed her. She knew that Sybil didn't like James, but Lily did, and it was very difficult not to get annoyed by the constant pessimism of her best friend.

The three women began their walk- something of a Christmas tradition to go for a stroll around the lake and enjoy the peace and quiet and beauty of Hogwarts.

It had started in second year, after Sybil had found out about her parents and had needed the break.

The next year it had happened again, just because it was comforting. The year after it had happened again, and since both Lily and Sybil were big on tradition, they had kept it up. Taura had joined them once they'd become members of the staff.

"How are things with Remus?" Lily asked Taura. "You said you'd gotten an owl from him earlier this week- I forgot to ask you about it sooner."

Taura smiled. "Pretty well. He's a nice guy. And he kisses great." Then, remembering that Lily had once had a crush on him, she smirked. "You're not jealous, are you dear?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Not quite."

"That's right," Taura teased. "You've got Potter to worry about."

She didn't notice that Sybil lost her smile and Lily averted her eyes.

"So," Taura said. "What's the deal with him? I thought you two would be all over each other by November. It's almost the end of December and I haven't seen you snogging yet."

Lily shrugged, avoiding any eye-contact with Sybil. "He's still pretty caught up with his parents and everything- we're waiting a while so things don't get... confused."

Taura frowned, apparently sensing more of it than she'd let on. She looked over at the Divination teacher, who was looking out at the lake with pursed lips. "And you don't like him, Syb?"

Sybil scowled at her. "Do _not_ call me that," she said, her voice sharper than normal. She closed her eyes for a moment, and her voice softened, though no less emotional. "No, I don't like Potter. I've seen things about him and they don't bode well for the future."

Taura gasped and raised her hands above her heart, pretending to be shocked. "You've seen things? Stop the presses! After all, you've always been right and this time is no different, I'm sure." There was annoyance in her voice- a lot more than normal. And anger as well. "Honestly, Sybil," Taura snapped. "You're ridiculous. You could at least be happy for her."

"Taura," Lily said sharply. "Calm down."

Sybil's claws were sharpened though, and she gave Taura such a cold look that it made the snow seem warm. "First of all, Sinastra, I've seen a lot of things. What I chose to share with you depends upon how factual I think it is. It doesn't do to share the real future with people who wouldn't know what to do with it, such as you." She gave Lily a long look, but then returned her sharp gaze to Taura, the anger obvious in her eyes. "Neither of you understand- I know that, and I've known it for a very long time. But I know also that Potter is dangerous. If Lily gets involved with him, she will die. I saw it and I know it."

Taura met her gaze coldly. "You'll forgive me if that's not exactly impressive. I have never heard a prediction from you that's truthful. It's all bull. What I think is that you're jealous- Potter is a nice guy who's interested in Lily, and you're too pathetic to wish her well and move on. You're afraid that she'll leave you behind, aren't you?"

"Stop," Lily said quietly, feeling very caught in the middle of everything. "Both of you."

They ignored her. Sybil was white in the face, her lips pressed tightly together and her hands clenched in fists- her nails digging so hard into her skin that Lily was certain she was bleeding. "Believe what you like. By Merlin, I hope that we never find out. But don't you dare question what I've Seen. You don't know the first thing about it. And you'd do yourself well if you would get away from the werewolf- there's doom in his future too."

Taura went white in the face as well, white with fury.

Lily felt like she was being torn in two, and wanted to knock sense into both of them- especially since, to be completely honest, it was none of their damn business who she was interested in. She forced herself to speak up and break them apart before they lost even more control and said something that they would really regret. "You're both being ridiculous," she said, as steadily as she could. "Please, both of you, just calm down."

Sybil glared at her, her patience apparently having been worn away. "Lily, I've warned you. Potter means death for you. If you don't believe me, fine. But when _he_ comes for you, you'll regret it."

Throwing no last glances over her shoulder, Sybil left them at the side of the lake and went back up towards the castle.

Lily turned away from Taura, closing her eyes and fighting back a headache that had come along when the argument had started.

"Since when did she get so sensitive about that?" Taura wondered, her voice cold. "Or perhaps the truth really does hurt."

Lily gave her an irritated look. "Taura, she's always been sensitive about it. She's ignored the comments from you and everyone else for so long that when she does get angry, she'll hold a grudge. Probably against me, too. Damn it. And honestly, the two of you behave like you're back in primary school. It's my business who I do- or _don't_- date. And she's been correct more times than you're admitting, and you know it."

Taura was stubborn. "Lily, she's being ridiculous. She sees the future about as well as I do- in other words, she doesn't."

Lily gave her a sharp look. "Taura-"

"I wasn't kidding," Taura said in return, cutting her off. "She's just jealous that you've found someone else that you're interested in. Ignore it, Lily. James is a great guy, and I think that you two would be really good together."

Lily looked back at the lake, wondering at the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. "I like him a lot," she admitted. "But I have never said if I was interested in being 'really good together' with him. And I don't want to hurt Sybil either, and I think... I think that she's really serious about this. Whether she's right or she's wrong-"

"Wrong," Taura supplied helpfully.

Lily ignored her. "She's going to be very hurt if I don't believe what she's saying."

Taura rolled her eyes. "Well, I know she's your best friend, Lily, but she's got to grow up some time. She's got to learn that the world doesn't always go her way."

Lily gave up trying to be nice and scowled at her. "Damn it, Taura, she _is_ my best friend, and I don't want her to get hurt, especially when it's over James Potter or some guy. You're only a few years older than us, Taura- you don't have _that_ much more experience than us."

Taura didn't flinch. "Lily, be honest with yourself- why on Earth would she be saying such things? She's jealous. And I know you don't want to think of her as less than a perfect friend, but be honest with yourself- she's completely and totally out of line."

Lily started back up the hill. "Or maybe she's right. Voldemort _is_ after James, and everyone knows it."

"Don't be ridiculous," Taura said impatiently. "The only reason You-Know-Who went after the Potters was to make a statement. They were an old family, well loved, and nearly everyone liked him. That's why he killed the Potters, and he's done now. If he weren't, James would probably be dead by now. "

Lily glanced back at her, frowning. "Look. Whatever the reasons for killing them, it doesn't mater. Whether you like it or not, Sybil is someone I don't want to see hurt. I love you both, but I can't stand being around you at the same time because the tension's so thick. You stop it with the harassment, and I'll ask her to stop with her predictions."

They'd reached the castle doors.

Lily gave her one more look. "I'll see you at dinner."

And then she was off down the hall. 

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

"Hey, Lily."

Lily looked up, startled, then relaxed. James was in the doorway, smiling at her. She relaxed. "Hi. When did you get back?"

He entered the room, staying near the door. "About an hour ago. I was unpacking and finishing wrapping a few Christmas gifts, or I'd have been over sooner."

"That's okay." She smiled at him. "Have a seat," she invited.

He came in the rest of the way and took a seat on the edge of one of the desks, giving her an innocent smile and saying nothing.

She laughed. "You look like you're a student in trouble again."

He smiled back at her. "Well, it wasn't that long ago. How's your break been?"

She lost her smile. "I've had better." She opened her mouth to ask him how his was then remembered what he'd said he was going to do. She shut her mouth again.

He frowned at her. "What happened?"

She sighed. "Oh, Sybil and Taura were bickering a bit too much again, and we've decided to avoid each other for a while."

"What about?"

She averted her eyes again. "Long story." Seeking a change of topic, she smiled at him. "Still interested in going bowling?"

He brightened. "Oh! Yes, of course. But does it really involve bowls? Remus tried to tell me it did, but I don't trust him. I was harassing him at the time."

She laughed. "No. No bowls required. It's bowling in the throwing a ball down a lane and trying to knock pins down kind of way."

He still looked puzzled, but nodded a little. "Okay. I'll just have to get revenge on him next time I see him. Maybe send his mum a picture of him and Taura out on one of their dates."

She smiled, amused by his cheery mood. "You're certainly in a good mood today."

"I suppose I am." He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he looked up at her again. "I went and saw my family yesterday."

"Oh?" she asked, looking at him, studying him with a frown. "How was it?"

He looked away, frowning a little. "Easy? Hard? Somewhere in the middle? Both?" A sigh. "I wish I could tell you."

She studied him with a frown, then stood up. "Come on," she requested. "Let's walk somewhere."

He obliged her, standing and following her out the door, then waiting while she locked the room up. 

For a few moments, they were both quiet, walking slowly and wondering what the other was thinking. James finally spoke. "It was easier than I thought it would be. Easier than it was last time. It still hurts, but it's a different kind of pain. Not as sharp."

She crossed her arms in front of her, fighting the urge to shiver- from the cold or from the topic, she wasn't sure which. "Did you cry?"

He blinked, a little startled, but nodded, looking only a little embarrassed. "Maybe a little."

She smiled. "I didn't think you'd tell me that."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "If you ever bring it up again, however, I will do something quite drastic."

She stopped, putting her hands on her hips and giving him an amused look. "And what would that be, Potter?"

For a moment, from the way he was looking at her, she was sure he was going to kiss her. But he didn't, looking away and smiling wryly. "Hell if I know," he said instead.

She felt very disappointed, but at the same time, wondered why. Hadn't she been the one to stop him last time? The thought made her wonder- was he going to wait for her to do something? She wanted to groan, but instead sighed. "Your threat isn't quite as impressive when you can't even come up with a suitable punishment."

He snorted. "You try coming up with something." Giving her an amused look, he started walking again. "It's a threat that has to be reasonable, appropriate, and inoffensive. That rules out what I would tell Sirius, Remus, or Peter. It has to be suitable for a woman, and that makes it even worse."

"Sexist," she accused playfully.

He 'hmm'ed. "Maybe. But what I'd tell Sirius is rather impossible to tell a lady such as yourself."

She thought about it for a brief moment. "I don't think I want to know, do I?"

"Probably not."

They fell into a silence for a while, just walking through the halls.

James glanced at his watch. "Care for tea in the Great Hall? Most everyone was in there when I came up a bit ago."

"Sounds lovely," she said. 

They turned down the hall that led in that direction, and upon reaching the hall, took their seats up at the Head Table, giving their greetings to McGonagall, Figg, and Hooch, who were seated on the other side of the table. Professors Falkner and Flitwick were also at that end, and Flitwick beamed at them and almost fell off his chair.

As this was normal, no one was too worried, and Lily and James took their normal seats. Dumbledore and Professor Sprout joined them after a few more minutes, and the group chatted pleasantly.

Then an owl flew in, hooting softly.

The owl landed in front of James, narrowly missing the teapot between them. He took the envelope as Lily gave the owl a biscuit, and she watched worriedly as he opened and read the letter.

His reaction confirmed the bad feeling she had. 

His shoulders slumped and he rested his head in his hands for a long moment before he looked up again, his eyes dull again. The rest of the staff had noticed, of course, and were for the most part pretending not to look at him.

He stood up slowly, pushing his chair in and leaning on the back of it. He looked over everyone at the table, and when he spoke, his voice was very quiet. "Roman and Rosada Lupin were attacked this morning. They're both dead."

The reaction hit them all at once- Minerva looked down at her tea cup, looking very pained. Rosada Lupin had been one of her students.

Arabella Figg sat back and closed her eyes. Roman Lupin had been one of hers.

Falkner and Flitwick exchanged somber looks, and Sprout sighed heavily.

Dumbledore looked up at James. "And the younger Lupin?"

"He's alive," James said, still softly. "He came home and found Aurors and Ministry officials all over the house. But he's alive."

From his voice, Lily knew there was more to it than that, but didn't ask.

"I'm going down to see him," James said then, looking to Dumbledore. "I don't know how long I'll be."

"Take as much time as you need," the Headmaster said.

Minerva nodded tiredly. "And send us the details of when the... the funerals will take place."

The room was very quiet as he walked out.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Peter wasn't at his apartment, and he wasn't at work. 

James called Mrs. Pettigrew over the Floo Network, and had the unhappy job of telling Mrs. Pettigrew about the Lupins. She burst into tears. 

She didn't know where Peter was either.

After the fire went out, James sat in the largest chair near the fire and wrote out a note explaining what had happened to Peter, and telling him to go over to the Lupin house.

He was about to Floo over there when Peter came in the door, arms laden down with grocery sacks. "I heard," he said, his voice thick. "I got an owl as I was walking up."

James nodded a little. "You ready to go?"

"Let me set some of this down," he said, and carried the bags over to the counter. James joined him and helped him put things away.

"I talked to your mum a bit ago. She knows. She wants you to let her know how you're doing when you get some time."

Peter nodded, putting the milk jug into the refrigerator. "All right," he said. "Let's go."

They Flooed over.

There were dozens of people in the front room of the Lupin's house, and when James stepped out, he recognized someone- and he knew the situation was even worse than he feared. Not only were their Aurors and Interviewers, but people from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures were there, as well as the dour faced man who led the Werewolf Registry and the woman in charge of the Werewolf Support Services.

James immediately began worrying even more about Remus. Sirius's letter had been vague- he'd just said that the Ministry had been questioning Remus, not that they'd called in for all the departments to get involved.

With a half-nod to some of the men and women that he knew, he followed the trail of people towards the kitchen, flinching when he saw the blood-stained hallway, but not stopping until he could see Remus seated at the kitchen table.

Sirius stood stiffly beside him, his face twisted into a scowl as two Ministry officials that James recognized from Hogwarts demanded answers of Remus. 

Remus looked pale and exhausted, and his voice was very flat as he answered the pointless questions civilly.

"Potter," someone said in greeting, and Remus and Sirius both looked up to nod their greetings.

James nodded back, his eyes lingering worriedly on Remus, who looked down at the table and didn't say anything.

Feeling even more worried now, he looked at the two who were interviewing Remus. "McArnold and Pierce?"

They nodded, suddenly suspicious of him. James shrugged. "Someone was looking for you out in the other room- short man. Dark suit."

The two immediately exchanged sharp looks and murmured their thanks and hurried out of the kitchen.

That would keep them out of the kitchen for a while.

James and Peter went over to Remus, and they sat in the chairs around the table, Sirius doing the same. 

The other people who had been witnesses to the interview stepped out after Sirius glared at them, giving them privacy. 

"What happened?" James asked.

Remus met his eyes. "I was out picking up a few things for Christmas. Came home, the Dark Mark was above the house, there were Ministry guys all over. Once they found out what I am, even more of them showed up."

"Moody's here," Sirius said. "He called me in. He said they were probably attacked about an hour before Remus got here. Aurors have been here since the neighbor across the street called in the Mark." 

James nodded slightly and glanced back in the other room. "They won't let you stay here tonight," he said, looking back at Remus. "You shouldn't anyway."

"Your place?" Sirius asked, and James nodded. 

Remus just closed his eyes and rested his head on the table.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The Potter Manor was suspiciously quiet when the four appeared before it almost three hours later. 

Night had come, and was creeping over the trees across the street, the nearly full moon lighting up the world around them.

Remus had been very quiet all night long. They all had.

Unlocking the house, James stepped inside, not looking down the hall that lead to the kitchen.

But a shadow caught his eye and he glanced that way, certain he had seen a stuffed bear on the floor.

It was his imagination. Swallowing a little, he stepped inside, allowing the others to come in behind him. 

The lights slowly came on as they stepped further into the house, going into the sitting room that the Potters had always used to receive guests- and their extended family. 

Remus collapsed in a chair near the fire, staring into it with a somewhat glossy look in his eyes. 

Peter tentatively sat on a chair near him, looking even more nervous than usual.

Sirius dropped his bag near the door and walked over to the bar, looking through the bottles until he found an unlabelled decanter. He sent four glasses over to the table near Remus and then sat on the couch nearest the door to pour them all very generous drinks.

James looked over them for a moment, then went to the window, looking out.

It was quiet. It had been when his parents had died, and before that, when Sirius's parents had been killed. 

No one knew what to say, and after this much practice, they knew that it wasn't going to help any to hear them bumbling about for words. 

How long ago was it, James wondered, detached, that they had first heard about Mr. Pettigrew dying? What about Sirius's parents being murdered? Had it really only been a few months since his own parents had been killed? And now Remus would find out how it felt firsthand to have your parents- worse than your best friends parents even- snatched from you with no warning. 

The Lupins. Two of the nicest people in the world- He stopped himself. That was what everyone said when people died. The nicest...

He rested his head against the window. And suddenly remembered doing the same thing the night his parents had been killed.

He turned from the window and looked back at the group. Remus was staring straight ahead, unmoving. Sirius was massaging his head as though he had an awful headache. Peter was twitching nervously, looking anywhere but at Remus.

And here he was, standing at the window, feeling... guilty?

A little voice inside his head was at it again, whispering... Blaming him for not being out there, not helping the Light side. He'd quit and gone to teach at a school. A school that was probably the safest place in all of Europe, so long as Albus Dumbledore was there.

His stomach twisting, he processed the thought, wondering if there was any truth to it.

Everyone said it took only one to make a difference. 

What if he was the one, and he had just lost his chance to make a difference?

He tried to brush the thought aside, but couldn't. He couldn't have done anything to save the Lupins any more than he could have saved his parents.

But the other part of him was insisting that he was wrong, that he should have done _something_, that sitting at the school, flirting with the Muggle Studies teacher wasn't going to do him or any one else any good.

Not while monsters like Voldemort was.

The sad part was that he liked teaching so much. He liked being there at Hogwarts and showing them the way to break a curse, or to put one on something. 

But while he was off having fun, Sirius and Moody and Frank Longbottom were in the thick of things, actually doing something...

And people were out there, getting killed. People who didn't deserve death.

He walked out of the room quickly, ignoring the looks Sirius and Peter shot him, and went down the hall towards the kitchen, towards the basement.

Lights flickered on in the kitchen as he walked, but he could have seen without them. He opened the trap door in the floor that led into the basement and went down the stairs. 

He stopped there, looking around the room. He could still see the way his family had been when he'd found them. His dad lying where he stood, his mum and sisters a little further over, and his brother and his brother's family lying dead a few meters further back.

Why had they been murdered? Why had the Blacks been murdered before them? And the Lupins? 

James knew the answer, and had known it since the first day life had turned Dark- back when the Blacks had been killed. Because Voldemort was evil, and his ultimatum was death. Which was why he had to stop.

James sank down to the ground, sitting on the bottom step and closing his eyes. 

He wanted to distract himself by having a philosophical debate in his head.

Instead he found himself looking over the room and missing his family, and grieving for Remus.

And wanting to do something about it.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The funerals were going to be terrible, James knew, staring somewhat dumbly into his closet and trying to concentrate on finding the appropriate clothing.

They were to take place two days after Christmas- Christmas, which had been a somber day, no gifts exchanged, just the four of them and Mrs. Pettigrew there, trying to console Remus and knowing there was nothing that could be done.

And now it was just another day of the year, and he had to get clothing for the funerals which would be held on the morrow.

Funerals which Remus had been discouraged from attending by the Ministry officials whom had dared to place him on the suspected Death Eater list. 

They actually thought that Remus, quiet, kind, shy Remus who would have done anything for his mum and dad, could have killed them in cold blood.

James pulled his robes out of the closet and went to hang them on the door that separated the Dark Arts room from his private chambers.

Lily was downstairs, standing in the doorway of the classroom, looking up at him, her eyes filled with emotions for him.

Looking down at her, he leaned on the balcony. His heart began beating strangely, and he wondered why it was that she could do this to him, even on a horrible, awful day like this day had been, and with a day tomorrow was going to be looming over his head. 

She broke the silence, stepping a little further in, crossing her arms in front of her, perhaps because she was cold, perhaps because she was nervous. "Hey."

He loosened his grip on the railing but leaned a little heavier on it. "Hey."

For a long moment they just looked at each other, and James wondered what she was thinking- why she was there. 

And he decided that it didn't really matter, and he started down the stairs. At the same time, she started across the room, and they met somewhere in the middle and embraced. She slipped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight for a moment, and he slipped his arm around her to hold her there when she started to pull away, wondering the whole time at the way it felt to have a woman touching him like this- in a purely non sexual way, but in a way that made him feel so very different. Her touch seemed to take some of the hurt that he'd been fighting away.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her breath tickling his neck.

He nodded a little, and swallowed, and they pulled back ever so slightly, still close enough that they were touching. Her eyes were teary as she looked up at him. But then, so were his. "How's Remus?" she asked.

They parted ways a little further, but he still held her hand, unwilling to relinquish all contact, and their eyes still met. "As well as can be expected. But there were... complications. He's all right, just hurting and tired."

He didn't want to explain the complications just yet, though at the same time, he knew that he eventually would. She didn't ask about it, just nodded and ran her thumb across the top of his hand. "And you? And Sirius and Peter?"

"We're getting used to feeling like this," he murmured.

She touched the side of his face, her touch soft and gentle, tentative. He looked down at her again, and then sat on the edge of one of the desks. Now she was a bit taller than he was, and looked down at him with concern in her eyes. She leaned in again and hugged him. "It'll be okay," she assured him softly, sitting on the edge of the desk next to him and letting him rest against her.

It felt very natural to do it. He couldn't bring himself to question why.

So he closed his eyes and was comforted by her.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

On a Friday morning, with bagpipes playing in the background, the Lupins were buried in the Lupin section of the cemetary. It was tiny compared to the Potter and Black plots, but had a lot of history nonetheless. One of Remus's ancestors had been a war hero during one of the many wizarding wars, and another had been a highly ranked assistant to the Minister of Magic back in the early 1800s.

James looked over the graves for a moment, but the history wasn't all that impressive to him at the moment. He was more concerned about Remus, who was very pale and had spoken barely two words all day.

Afterwards, there was a luncheon at Potter Manor, which James had quietly suggested. The House Elves provided a banquet for the small group of funeral goers, and the two day ceremonies were concluded by three in the afternoon.

Remus retired to his room almost immediately after.

Peter went home with his mother.

Sirius went to work.

James went out to the Quidditch pitch and did something he hadn't done since a few months after Hogwarts let out- he flew.

Life always seemed simpler when he could fly, he mused, wandering aimlessly up the rows of trees. 

There wasn't a need to worry about anything but falling off, and he hadn't fallen off since the one time during third year when he'd been nailed with a Bludger, directly to the back of his head.

Unfortunately, times had changed, and while flying did help him feel a little better, there were still a lot of problems on his mind when he returned.

Surprisingly, the actual deaths were not what bothered him the most at the moment. They did, of course, rate high upon the list of woes he carried.

But what was worse was what was going to happen to Remus.

As a werewolf, Remus was required to follow certain laws that regular witches and wizards did not.

They had all already known he could not inherit directly from his parents. His parents had worked around it, routing their money and property to go to Dumbledore on their deaths. He was supposed to pass it on to Remus.

But they had missed something in the contract that had been put together years ago, and for legal reasons none of them could understand, all of the property and money was denied to Dumbledore- and sent to the Ministry.

Even after James talked about it with his solicitors, searching for a way out, there was no solution for it.

The pain of his parents' deaths was far too close for Remus to become enraged over this, but James (and Sirius and Peter, when they were informed) acted on his behalf, contacting everyone at the Ministry who might be able to change it.

Nothing worked.

Remus was too proud to accept charity of any kind, and even when James offered him a loan "until things get properly fixed", the werewolf turned it down.

He stayed at the Potter manor for a week, and he, James, Sirius and Peter moved as much as they could out of the Lupin house before it was taken over by the Ministry. That was all placed in storage- at least Remus accepted a shed to store his things in from James, though not very happily.

James had been in the fire grate since he'd first heard about it, but Remus told him point blank that it didn't matter, and that he shouldn't worry about it. 

James did worry about it though- especially when he saw the tiny, dirty apartment that Remus was forced to move into when the Ministry kicked him out of his house two days before the New Year began.

The New Year began with Remus in a new house, and the full moon welcoming Moony back from his month long absence. All four Marauders were united for the first time in a year and a half, Padfoot and Prongs to control Moony, and Wormtail to entertain them.

Despite their best attempts, Remus managed to injure himself badly enough that they took him to a discreet doctor the morning after.

Moony had carried over his anguish into the night.

James was able to stay with him for one more night before he had to return to the school for the resuming of classes.

They bid farewell to each other, all suspecting that it would be a while before they met again.

James just hoped it would be under better circumstances.

And he wondered what kind of relationship he and Lily would have at that point.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

**REVIEWERS**: **Lavender**- As always, thank you so much for reviewing. You absolutely and totally and completely rock. (Now write more FG!) TTFN.  
**Amelia**- Glad you enjoyed both stories, and glad the prologue made you cry. :o) I mention a bit about Sirius's parents in this chapter, does that help at all? Don't worry, L/J action is coming! Really! I swear!!  
**Got Harry**- I *LOVE* the idea of Bubble Whiskey. I don't know if I'll include that in this story, but I'm *totally* going to include it in at least one of my other ones. That is an AWESOME idea! :o) Also, glad you're okay if it's not exactly like the book. Later on, I'll explain more of why I'm doing what I"m doing, but right now, there's too much that has to happen, and I don't want to spoil you all.  
**everblue3**- And you totally rock. You are completely awesome. I love you and your reviews. By any chance, are you an 18-22 yr old male with an interest in hockey, LotRs, writing, having lots of kids, and located near Detroit? 'Cuz your reviews rock so much that I'd marry you. (If you fit most of those qualifications, of course. :o) Anyway. When I get around to revising the drinking chapter, I'll have to include some of the drinks you suggested. And I'm totally going to fit a couple Muggle drinks in future chapters. Hopefully. :o) I did include the foursome drinking from a decanter, but I didn't mention what they were drinking. :o) I figure that if you're taking the time to write such fabulous reviews, I should at least write a nice response to you. If I were really into this, I'd have to e-mail you a reply, but I don't think I'd ever get around to replying to everything via e-mail.   
Again, anyway: I think Sybil's safe from alcoholic tendencies. Thought that might have made for an interesting aftermath. :o) Super glad you liked the grave scene, especially since I stressed about it so much. As to the rich Potters, I figured they had some money before hand, but it does eventually run out, and I wanted them to have a good explanation for how Harry gets so much. As to a wizarding or Muggle stock market? *grin* I took a WAG and decided wizards would have their own. I don't know what he invested in for sure, but hot dog, did it do well! :o)   
lol- and feel free to go "deep". I can always use the insight. It "reinforced the faith [you] have in [my] abilities as a writer"? Very glad to hear that, and hope it wasn't decimated in this chapter. Very glad you liked the bits in the house- I put myself in his shoes and figured I would have put it off for as long as possible. Er... the bowling didn't quite work out. And I'm *EXTREMELY* glad to hear you appreciated Peter being included. I've always felt he was an important character, and it drives me *nuts* when people *don't* include him, especially when he plays *such* an important part. *grin* Glad you like my use of Sybil. But you don't think she'd have an interest in Sirius? If you're up to it, explain why not, as I'm curious about people's perceptions of Sybil.  
Glad you're appreciating the humor- I've always pictured Remus as a rather quiet guy, and I don't think he goes blabbing about his love interests to his mother much- if ever- so I figured he'd be a good target for teasing. The Hogwarts dinner with Albus? Yeah, well, that's kind of what inspired this chapter- I couldn't get it to work out properly, so I got frustrated and wrote a scene that would successfully get rid of it. Poor Remus had to get hurt in the process, but he's strong, he'll survive. Maybe. :o) Thank you for your *FANTASTIC* review! (And sorry my response keeps getting longer!)  
**Aileron**- Glad you think all is moving nicely, and that James's grief is believable and all that jazz. :o) lol- and YOU ROCK AND YOUR STORY KICKS ASS TOO!! *grin* Thanks for everything!!  
**miss wings**, **blueskywillow55**, **mooncancer**, **Jemi Fal, Twisted Rose**- Thanks to all of you for reviewing! I'm working as fast as I can on the next chapter, don't worry! Thanks to those who put me on their faves list!**  
****RECOMMENDED READING: **On the advice of everblue3 (who totally rocks) I am advertising my prequel to this, _Two Minutes of Consideration_, storyid=1279429. You can access it by clicking on my name at the very top of this page, scrolling down a bit, then clicking on the link.  
I would feel *REALLY* awful if I didn't recommend that you go check out the stories on my favorites list. They're all there for a VERY good reason. 21 fantastic L/J stories; 4 superb MWPP stories; one Lily/Snape fic that is really, really surprisingly good- I know it sounds weird, but if you can handle it, READ IT!; one Petunia fic; 2 James and/or Lily return to life fics; and two LotR fics. They're all AWESOME!!! READ THEM!! And review too, of course. Especially check out everblue3 and Aileron's and Lavender's stuff- they're awesome!  
**QUESTIONS and COMMENTS:  
**1.) Should Sybil get a love interest? Who? Why? If not, why not? (Interested in all responses, humorous and serious.)  
2.) Any comments about Peter and his inclusion in the story thus far? (Please?)  
3.) Any comments on poor Remus, specifically in regards the the murders of his parents and the treatment he got afterwards?  
4.) Is there anything you would like to see in future chapters? (No guarantees, I'm just interested in your thoughts and suggestions.)  
5.) Guess what! Lily and James action is going to get more serious pretty quickly! Yay! (At last, the parts I've been looking forward to since Day 1!!)  
6.) You know you're too into HP when you gasp with horror when someone says "mudblood". I reached over and covered my cousin's ears when Malfoy called Hermione that in CoS. :o)  
**NEXT UP**... Settling down to Hogwarts once again, Dumbledore meets with our hero (and possibly our heroine? I haven't decided.), and Taura falls madly in love with James and they have a mad affair, while Lily and Sybil make up and start snogging because they've discovered a hidden desire for each other. Um... Just kidding! (Does anyone read this anyway?)


	9. Chapter Eight

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
SUMMARY: James Potter's had a rough year, and when he decided he needs a break from being an Auror, Albus Dumbledore comes up with an interesting proposition....  
CHARACTERS: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
RATING: PG-13  
SUMMARY: Settling down to Hogwarts once again, life slowly moves on.  
**DEDICATION: **To Aileron, for looking this over and telling me that it's much better than the first try. Thank you!  
**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: This is a re-do of this chapter because I hated the original and couldn't figure out what to do with it until the first reviews for it came in. So, MUCH thanks to those who reviewed the original of this chapter and weren't afraid to say what they liked and disliked about it. :o) I really appreciate it. Oddly enough, it's much more satisfying to hear people say that they *didn't* like parts of it. (But feel free to offer mind-numbing praise, too- I dig that stuff. :o)  
Note that some scenes are new, some scenes are revised, some scenes are completely rewritten and others are deleted entirely. If you don't feel like re-reading it, I'll post a summary of this new version at the start of the next chapter.

_Chapter Eight (**Attempt #2**)_

Somewhere out there, the gods were laughing.

James kicked his shoes off and practically collapsed on his bed, not moving for a very long moment. Then his glasses started bothering him and he sighed and rolled over on his back, taking them off to set them on his night table and rubbing his eyes.

Five years ago he'd been a student at Hogwarts, playing practical jokes on anyone who annoyed him or irritated him or interested him, and now he was a professor at the same school, working with Dumbledore, the man who'd practically been his idol, on a way to stop Lord Voldemort from attacking and killing more people.

As tired as he was, it was a very amusing idea.

It was very late now, he saw, glancing at the clock on the night stand. At least he had a good reason to be tired.

A week had passed since school had started. Dumbledore and the rest of the staff had been pleased to see him back, and Lily Evans had looked especially glad. That made him feel rather pleased. It had been even nicer when he'd walked her back to her classroom later on, and she'd asked if he wanted to try the bowling thing with her over the weekend- they'd made plans to go out tomorrow evening with Remus, Peter, and Sirius, and Taura and Sybil.

Whatever differences the three women had had, apparently they'd been cleared up.

He sat up and stripped down, then tugged on a pair of pajama pants he'd left lying on the end of his bed, then pulled the blanket over himself, his mind drifting back to what he and Dumbledore had been talking about for so long that evening.

After dinner, Dumbledore had requested his presence in his office. James had followed him in, not certain what to expect.

It had been something of a surprise to find Alastor Moody, Arabella Figg, and Mundungus Fletcher waiting for him. The four of them were known to be friends of sorts, and James couldn't imagine what they wanted with him.

But then Dumbledore had told him about the Order of the Phoenix, and how they wanted to create a coalition of sorts against Voldemort- against all Darkness, really. James hadn't needed to hear much before he agreed to join them- and no one had looked surprised.

And then for two hours they had sat and discussed possible plans, and it had felt so very strange to be speaking to Dumbledore and Moody and Fletcher and Figg as an equal, when he had grown up terrified of them, and knowing that if he ever dared to call them by their first name even, surely the gods would find out and he'd be in deep trouble...

They had taken a break then because Minerva McGonagall had needed assistance with a few unruly students, but James had talked to the other three while waiting for the situation to be sorted out. 

And while he had been very impressed just to be in the same room as them, he had calmed down enough that he could piece some of the information together that they had let slip- though James was very sure that they expected him to do so.

The most interesting and important thing they knew was that they had a man on the inside of Voldemort's ranks. A higher-up one, to judge from some of the information that had been disclosed.

James had realized this about three quarters of the way through the second half of the meeting, and it had nearly driven him mad trying not to ask too many questions.

He rolled over in bed, laying on his side and staring out the thick window pane, at the shadows that the moonlight cast...

Moony.

The thought of his friend made him frown, for more than one reason.

The first because he'd forgotten to send him a reply to his letter- Remus had written asking about the bowling thing. James had known right away from the forced tone of it that he wasn't doing too well, and had very carefully composed a response, not wanting to press too much, but afraid that if he didn't press a little, Remus would keep it locked up inside him, as he had done dozens of times before. The reply was sitting on his desk in the other room, sealed and waiting to be mailed. Now it would have to wait until morning.

The second reason was because of the Order of the Phoenix- Sirius, Peter, and even Lily, Taura, and Sybil had been mentioned as being part of it- but Remus had not ever come up, as a potential member or as someone who had already signed the lengthy and secretive list. The list had been enchanted so that none of the other names were legible to anyone except its four leading members- Figg, Fletcher, Moody, and Dumbledore.

James decided he would ask Dumbledore about it in the morning, along with the dozens of other questions that came to him now that he was alone.

It took a long time to fall asleep, and when he did, he dreamt of his parents.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Saturday morning, Lily woke up even earlier than normal and went down to breakfast. Somewhat to her surprise, she found that Sybil was in there as well. "Good morning," she said, and took a seat next to her.

Sybil nodded stiffly. She was still angry about the argument that they had had before Christmas, but after the news about Remus's parents had gotten around, Lily had gone up to see her and they had mostly worked things out. "You still going bowling with us tonight?"

"Is Potter still going?" Sybil asked, taking a sip of tea.

Lily nodded. Sybil nodded back. "Then I am- the less time alone you two have, the better."

Lily figured that she really should be offended by that, but didn't let herself consider it. She wasn't willing to get in another fight with her. Instead, she got a croissant from the basket in front of them and ripped off a small piece of it, deciding to ignore the comment completely. 

Sybil poured herself some more tea. "Is Sinastra still going?" 

While Lily and Sybil and Lily and Taura had settled their issues, Sybil and Taura seemed perfectly content to go on and never speak to each other again.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Taura is still going, yes."

Sybil took another sip of tea, her expression rather cold. "Lovely."

It was such a traditional Sybil-like expression that Lily had to laugh. 

Sybil gave her an irritated look.

They sat in a comfortable silence while Lily ate her breakfast, and Sybil finished hers.

Minerva McGonagall entered the hall a short while later, and while she smiled at Lily, her expression was slightly less friendly when she looked at Sybil. "Good morning," she said to them both.

"I knew you would be in here next," Sybil said at once, adopting a rather dreamy tone that everyone knew McGonagall deplored. Lily was careful to hide her expression when she saw McGonagall give Sybil an irritated look. 

"I'm sure that was quite a prediction," McGonagall said. "Seeing as we three are usually the only ones who get up before seven on a Saturday morning."

Sybil shook her head, and Lily looked away, amused, as her best friend told the stern woman that she had foreseen it when she had been crystal-gazing.

McGonagall looked irritated, and made a catty comment in reply.

The two tossed hidden insults back and forth while Lily watched in amusement until Sybil waved the older woman off. "Potter will be in here next, and I have no desire to stay here any longer."

Lily frowned a little, both at Sybil's desire to leave before he came, and at the fact that James was at that moment entering from the main entrance, instead of the side doors, as he usually used.

He looked very tired, but greeted them with a pleasant "Good morning" as soon as he looked up and saw them.

McGonagall looked irritated, and muttered something under her breath about Person-Locating Charms before she called out a greeting to him. Sybil smirked slightly and looked at Lily, clearly to find out if she was ready to leave as well.

Lily motioned for her to wait a minute. "You look tired," she said to James as he drew closer. 

He shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand up at even odder angles. "Albus kept me up last night, and then, just a short while after I fell asleep, I heard noises in my classroom." He gave McGonagall a pointed look. "Two of your students were in my classroom, trying to color the walls red and the floors gold."

"Why does that sound familiar?" Minerva wondered out loud, looking at James with a raised eyebrow.

James shrugged. "I can't imagine. There were four of us when we tried that, and we also turned all the chalk red and rigged the Slytherin seats. Anyway, they didn't know how to do the spell properly, and were trying to do the wall one brick at a time. I taught them the proper way of doing it and offered the suggestion that next time they be more quiet. Then I sent them to the Potions room."

McGonagall looked horrified. Lily and Sybil exchanged amused looks.

James continued. "Then, about half an hour after that, just when I was settling into bed again, I heard more noise in the classroom. I got up and found two young Slytherins in there. They were trying to color the room green and silver."

"Did you suspend them?" Minerva asked suspiciously. "I do hope you are planning on speaking with Arabella and I about these students. And you're supposed to treat students equally, so I hope you didn't punish them."

"I treated them the same," he assured her. "I showed them the correct way to do it and told them to do it to your room."

Lily laughed while McGonagall looked very startled.

James winked at Lily, then began buttering the muffin he'd sliced in half. 

McGonagall stood up rather quickly and left the Great Hall, casting an irritated look back at James. She nearly ran into Arabella Figg. "I thought you and Albus were gone for the day," Minerva said.

Arabella rested on her cane. One of the cats trotted over, and James slid his chair back and lifted it into his lap, petting it. "Do you really think that old coot will get out of bed this early?" Figg asked sharply. "Of course not. He'll be along in another hour."

James looked as though he wanted to laugh. Minerva snorted. 

"You've eaten already, Minerva?" Arabella asked, sitting down.

"No, but I need to go back to my classroom," Minerva answered. She frowned. "Potter was kind enough to send two students of yours in the direction of my classroom last night."

Arabella looked amused. "You're fortunate then that I've already taken care of the situation. Your two and my two will be serving detention under Professor Potter's direction next Friday, from the end of dinner until eleven in the evening, at which time he will escort them back to their dormitories."

James looked startled, and this time, McGonagall was the one to laugh. "I've got plans for next Friday," James protested, though he didn't look too upset.

Arabella smirked. "I had plans for this morning that did not include cleaning paint off of my walls and ceilings, and lecturing students. Such is life, Professor."

James sighed. "This is why we didn't get caught," he muttered.

"You'll get caught soon enough, Potter," Sybil said suddenly. "For better or for worse."

James and Lily both looked at her. So did Arabella and Minerva, both more dubious.

Sybil shivered and shook her head, standing. "I'm going back to my classroom."

"I'll go with you," Lily said, a little concerned by Sybil's expression- she looked rather distant, as though she were seeing things that no one else could.

Lily wasn't sure she believed Sybil was psychic, but she knew she didn't want her stumbling around the school while seeming so ill.

"We still on for tonight?" James asked after she'd stood.

"Unless you've changed your mind," Lily answered with a smile for him. "See you later," she said.

James waved and resumed eating, and Lily followed Sybil out into the hallway. "What did that mean?" she asked as soon as the door had shut behind her.

Sybil shook her head slightly, looking oddly frightened. "Another dream," Sybil answered shortly. "I don't want to talk about it."

Lily looked up at the ceiling and sighed. She didn't want to talk about Sybil's 'dreams' either. 

Sybil sighed and looked over at her. "Just what do you see in him, anyway?"

Lily looked away for a moment, then back at her. "I can't explain it. He's just... right. And that sounds weird, but it's the best way I can describe it. He's funny, he's smart, he's interesting... We've got a lot of things in common, I think. We get along well. He's a great teacher."

"That would matter if you were a student," Sybil said, sounding a little irritated.

Lily gave Sybil a half desperate look. "There's got to be something that you don't mind about him."

"I've seen that something horrible will happen involving him, and soon. Someone will get hurt."

"You've been saying that since the start of the year, Sybil," Lily reminded her quietly.

Sybil shivered a little, and for a moment, Lily was reminded of the eleven year old Hufflepuff that she had once been. But Sybil hid it quickly, wrapping one of her shawls around her thin arms. "This is different. He was the focus of the dream, not you."

Dreams again. Lily bit her lip and looked away, then looked back at Sybil. "His friends are nice, even if you don't like them."

"They've been in my dreams too."

"He's got a nice arse?" Lily tried, a little bit desperately.

Sybil gave her an amused look, much to her relief. "Black has a nicer one."

Lily stared at her, the relief quickly fading. "Black? Sirius Black?" Lily's mind began racing, and her thoughts weren't entirely pleasant- the idea of Sybil being attracted to Sirius in any way was rather worrisome...

Sybil snorted. "I know what you're thinking, Lily, and stop. I'll always remember him as the wretch who we caught in the girl's lavatory in fourth year. Either that, or I'll think of the nightmares and prophetic dreams I've had with him involved." She lost any amusement and looked out the window, her face unnaturally pale. Her voice was soft and dreamy, as though she'd just had one of her predictions. "I keep seeing him in my dreams. He's interfering with something, and he means well, but it ends in a horrible, bloody disaster every time. I don't know what it is though." She rubbed her arms as if cold, then shivered and pulled one of her shawls around her skinny arms. 

Lily hoped it really was the cold, because she felt a shiver go down her back too. She bit her lip, then looked up again. "Well. Tonight maybe you'll have enough fun you could forget the dreams for a while?"

"More likely," Sybil said. "If it goes as it has for the past few evenings out, I'll be stuck chatting with Black, while you and James flirt, Sinastra and Remus disappear, and Pettigrew finds someone else to chat with."

Lily winced. "I promise it won't be like that. Really. Except for Taura and Remus- I make no promises about them."

Sybil didn't seem to find that funny.

Lily sighed and gave her a one armed hug as they walked up a set of stairs. "It'll be fun," she promised.

Sybil snorted. "Then don't leave me alone with that twit again."

Lily nodded. "I swear."

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

"Strike!" Sirius yelled happily, doing a victory dance as he made his way back to the seats.

The outrageous wink he sent towards Sybil, Lily, and Taura had them all laughing, as well as the charming dance he did before plopping down in a seat near Peter, who was talking with a pretty girl he'd met while getting drinks. For all his faults, he had incredible luck with girls- they all seemed to go for his shy approach.

James groaned as he got up- he had not hit a pin yet, and this was the eighth frame of the first game. Even Peter had hit several times, giving himself a nice score of 108. Remus was doing well, as he'd been bowling before, and Sirius was doing fabulously- James wanted to hit him for it, too. Especially when Lily gave James a sympathetic kiss on the cheek and suggested he get Sirius to help him.

Irritated, he sighed and walked up to get the bright pink ball Lily had shoved in his hands, assuring him that the color didn't matter and that it was supposed to weigh be light enough that it could pass for a dimple-less Bludger. He wasn't sure he believed her, and had long ago given up on trying to throw it properly, and now just tossed it down the long, slippery lanes, not really caring where it went. 

This time, he hit pins- all ten of them.

In the wrong lane.

He swore and glared at the pins, which seemed to be mocking him.

His friends were mocking him too, and he wasn't sure he wanted to turn around and face them. Remus, who was up on the lane that James had just thrown down, was laughing so hard he nearly dropped his ball- and while James was pleased to see he looked like that, he couldn't exactly say he was quite as happy to be the reason why.

With a sigh, he turned around, noting that the people in the other lanes were giving them funny looks.

Of course, that could have been because Sybil was still dressed in her robes, and Peter was wearing a very old-fashioned Muggle suit, and Sirius was wearing a top hat, vest, tie and blue jeans. But it could have also been because they were laughing at him too.

"Perfect Potter," Sirius exclaimed merrily, his face like one giant grin. "Nice job, Prongs! Absolutely spiffing!"

James raised two fingers and gave the reverse of the victory sign to Sirius and sat down, glaring at the pins at the end of the lane. 

"Good one," Lily said, switching seats so she sat between him and Sybil. She was grinning as widely as Sirius.

He sighed. "I suppose I couldn't tell you that I did that on purpose?" 

She shook her head, still grinning. "About as likely that I'd believe it now as I would have earlier, when the ball rolled towards us."

"This game," he declared. "Is absolutely terrible."

"You'd prefer it with bowls?" Lily teased.

He made a face at her and decided he'd spend a good bit of the night sulking- at least until they were done with this bowling thing.

"I'm up," she said, and gave him another grin, and whispered something to Sybil, then went up to throw the ball.

"Do you go out and do this a lot?" James asked Sybil, mostly looking to ease the tension she radiated now that she wasn't laughing at him any more.

She gave him a cool smile. "We used to. It's been a long year though."

Sybil, of course, was doing better than him. She was actually doing better than all of them, including Lily, who was the only one who had grown up bowling regularly. Sybil tossed her hair back over her shoulder, looking away from him.

He studied her for a moment, trying to come up with something to say to her. She was Lily's best friend, so it would make sense for him to try to get along with her too. Right? He wasn't entirely sure... He watched as Lily threw the ball (down the proper lane), and knocked down nine of the ten pins. She looked quite pleased with that, and her hips swayed as she walked back to the ball return. She leaned over to say something to Sirius, and the two laughed. "You've known Lily since first year?" he asked.

It was apparently a bad subject. She gave him a strange look, as though he'd just insulted her, or at very least, brought up a painful subject. "I've known her since then, yes, and she's my best friend. We're very close. You'd do well to stay away from her."

She stood up before James could say anything to that unusual statement. Absolutely puzzled, he stared after her, hardly noticing when Taura sat down next to him. 

Lily was still standing next to Sirius, talking to him, and she frowned at Sybil and glanced back at he and Taura. She looked a little concerned.

"She's jealous," Taura said softly. "She and Lily have been friends for so long that she thinks Lily won't want her around if she get serious about you."

"Sybil is?" James asked.

Taura nodded. "She's been telling Lily that she's having dreams-"

"Good gossip?" Lily asked, suddenly standing near them. She looked upset, and was frowning at Taura.

Taura gave her a long look. "Nothing you haven't heard."

Lily crossed her arms. "This is neither the time nor place to talk about it then," Lily said.

The two women exchanged a look that was so cold that James felt uncomfortable. He stayed quiet, figuring that it was better to be ignored in this situation, and find out what it was about later on. He was assuming it had something to do with him, and that wasn't exactly making matters more comfortable.

Sybil threw a ball and got a strike, but when she turned around, she didn't look pleased. Her eyes had fallen on Lily and Taura.

And unfortunately, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were starting to notice the tension.

Lily looked away from Sybil, her arms folded in front of her. "Peter," she said. "You're up next." She looked over at Taura again. "We'll talk about it later, okay?"

"You're not my mother, Lily," Taura said softly. "And I think that he should know what this is about."

"And if he should, it's not your place to tell him. It's up to Sybil or I. Not you. And certainly not now."

"Neither of you would tell him," Taura said, her arms crossed in front of her.

James was more than a little relieved when Sirius stood up and joined them, stepping between them with a fake grin on his face, as though he didn't know that they were arguing. He slipped his arms around their waists and hugged them to his sides. "Jim, you're up. Off to entertain us with a stunning zero once more?"

Taura and Lily looked away from each other, and both broke free from Sirius as one, Taura going off to get something from the snack bar and Lily going off to say something to Sybil.

James and Sirius exchanged a long look, but decided it would be safer to talk about it later.

And then James sighed and stood up to humiliate himself some more.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

James slipped off with Lily while everyone else was finishing up their second game. They went into the bar at the opposite end of the building and sat at one of the free tables in the back. "Sorry about earlier," Lily said, not quite meeting his eyes. "Things aren't quite going properly with Sybil and Taura."

"And I'm not helping, I sense," James said.

She smiled tersely. "It's a long story, but there's nothing you could do about it anyway. So don't worry about it."

"Funny," he said, studying her expression. "I was sure that Sybil suggested things would be better if I stayed away from her."

Lily blinked, then met his eyes, looking very irritated. "She did what? She told you to-" She cut herself off and sat back in her chair, rubbing her eyes. "Wonderful."

He shrugged. "It's got me curious, of course, but I can wait to find out if you're not willing to share."

He'd hoped she would, of course, so when she gave him a small smile, obviously relieved, he was a little disappointed.

"Thank you," she said, and for a moment, their eyes locked, and he seriously considered leaning over and kissing her.

The moment was ruined, however, when Peter came in, smiling cheerily. "There you are," he said, apparently oblivious. "Remus is leaving, and asked me to find you."

James and Lily continued to look at each other for a moment, then James looked back at Peter. "We're on our way," he said, standing and going around to help Lily out of her chair. She looked amused by the attention.

They exited the little bar and began walking down to the lanes their group was gathered at. Taura and Remus stood chatting on one end, and Peter and Sirius stood talking with Sybil, who looked was, oddly enough, smiling at whatever Sirius was saying.

She lost her smile when James and Lily got closer, and James found himself wondering why. He didn't ask, but also noticed that she and Lily gave each other a long look.

Best friend talk, he mused, finding it a little humorous. He and Sirius had long ago discovered that they knew each other so well that they didn't always need to talk. To a certain extent, it had worked with all four of them. But apparently Lily and Sybil had that art down to a science.

When they broke eye-contact, Lily looked amused, and Sybil was shaking her head slightly.

"Moony's got an early morning," Sirius explained. "So he's leaving us so he can sleep for work. Isn't that awful?"

"Where are you working at?" James asked, looking at Remus.

Remus didn't quite meet his eyes either. "Oh, just a little place down the street. Paper work and that sort of thing, nothing special."

Taura kissed his cheek. "You still coming up next weekend?"

Remus flinched. "I'd forgotten to tell you. I can't make it up there- I got a second job, working on Saturday nights."

She looked disappointed, but kissed his cheek. "All right then. Owl me when you get some time, will you?"

"I will."

"We've got to get going too," Lily said, glancing at her watch. "I'm working with some students in the morning." 

"I have an appointment as well," Sybil said. 

James glanced at his watch. "It's only one o'clock," he argued. "Stay later."

Lily gave him an amused look. "So I can fall asleep trying to teach them what a curling iron is?"

James stared at her, a little shocked. "You teach them about torture devices?"

Lily laughed at him, and then had to turn away for a few moments, she thought it was so funny.

"I don't get it," Peter said uncertainly.

Lily faced them again, her eyes still shining with amusement. "It's not a... Oh, bother, don't worry about it."

James gave up trying to figure it out. "I'll walk you out at least."

"We'll go order something good to drink," Sirius said, motioning towards himself and Peter. "But you're paying for the next round."

James nodded and walked with Lily, Taura, Sybil and Remus down to the doors. 

Taura and Remus stayed back, and James had a very good idea what they were doing- pretty much what he wanted to do with Lily. "I guess I'll see you in the morning," he said.

Sybil snorted and crossed her arms. She was obviously not going anywhere. Lily looked torn between amusement and irritation, but settled on amusement. She kissed his cheek. "Good night, James. Come over and see me if you don't get back too late."

"Good night," he said to her, and nodded slightly to Sybil.

He glanced back around the corner at Remus and Taura and raised an eyebrow. "They look like they're going to be a while."

Lily rolled her eyes and glanced around before pulling out her wand and discreetly pointing at them. She murmured a Shock Curse, and the embracing couple jumped back from each other. James realized suddenly that the couple could see him, and that he was very much the most likely suspect for having broken up their little snog. He gave Lily an irritated look. "I'm going to get hexed for that, you know."

"Yes, you are," Remus growled as he and Taura joined them. "But I'll wait for a more opportune moment." He smiled at Lily and Sybil. "See you soon," he said.

The three women waved and said goodbye, and then they walked off into the shadows of the parking lot and Disapparated.

James looked over at Remus. "What's really going on?" he asked.

Remus looked a little surprised. "What do you mean?" he asked, his tone cautious.

"On a Sunday? Even Muggles don't work then. And if I'm wrong, where are you working?"

Remus shifted, looking away, looking very uncomfortable. "I'm working on a Sunday, James. And I don't quite feel like discussing my job because it's not one I'm extremely pleased with. So if you don't mind, I'll be leaving now." He started to turn and walk away.

"Moony, stop," James said quietly, touching his shoulder. "I didn't mean to piss you off. I'm worried about you."

Remus looked at him, then shook his head. "Don't be, James. You've got enough to deal with. I'm fine."

"You lost your parents not a month ago," James said. "I know what it's like."

"Do you?" Remus asked softly. "James, you're a dear friend. And maybe, as you're not so discreetly pointing out, I _should_ talk with you. But it's not something I'm ready for. There's... a lot going on right now. I don't want to drag you into it. Into any of it."

James didn't understand. "It's not dragging me into it if you tell me. It's not doing anything but telling me."

"James," Remus sighed. "Just stay out of it. Please. I'll be all right. You're doing all right, and you lost seven in one night. I can handle it."

James stared at him, not saying anything. Yes, more of his family had died- but Remus had always had a very close relationship with his parents- when he'd been bitten, they had stayed by his side, and had been forced to become his parents, nurses, and in a sense, his friends, for a very long time. 

Remus shook his head, looking tired. "I'll see you later, Prongs."

"Night, Moony," James said after a long moment. 

He waited until Remus had walked away to the darkness and Disapparated before he turned around and kicked the nearest wall, cursing himself for handling that so poorly. 

He waited outside for a few minutes, then went inside, finding Peter and Sirius in the back of the Muggle bar and sitting, noticing as he did that the chairs in the bar were even less comfortable than the ones by the bowling lanes.

"Where's Remus really off to?" Sirius asked as he sat.

James shook his head. "He said it was a new job. He wouldn't tell me anything else."

"You don't think he's going to work early?" Peter asked, puzzled.

Sirius and James looked at each other. They both shook their heads. 

"You think he's upset about the Order of Phoenix thing?" Sirius asked, lowering his voice. "Albus didn't mention him when he and I talked. Maybe he can't join for some reason?"

James shrugged again. "I meant to ask Albus this morning, but he was gone all day. I'd rather find out from Remus, anyway."

"We'll ask him next time we see him," Sirius said. "And then if he's not, we'll have to talk to Dumbledore about it. I'm sure Fletcher and Moody aren't the prejudiced type, and he was one of the best at Dark Arts in school. He'd be a plus."

Peter frowned a little. "Do you think they know about the-" Peter lowered his voice. "Animagus thing?"

James and Sirius looked at each other. Sirius shrugged. James shook his head. "If they did, we'd be in trouble. Who would believe that three students could do such a thing? They'd assume we did it as adults, and that's still just illegal, only this time with the full punishment."

"I'm a bit worried about him," Sirius admitted. "He's been having a hard time keeping a job because he has to take so much time off because of the damn full moon. Most people won't even hire him because of it. I talked with him a bit after you left on New Year's," Sirius said. "He's thinking about going into the Muggle world to look."

"He shouldn't have to do that," James said quietly.

"No," Sirius agreed. "But he won't be sensible and let us help him. I've offered dozens of times to split rent with him somewhere."

James shrugged. "I offered him a quarter of the house. All he'd have to do was pay for food and a couple galleons a month. He said no, of course. He could take half the house for nothing, and I wouldn't care, but he thinks it's all charity."

"You think he's going to be okay?" Peter asked quietly.

James sighed and looked over at him. Peter had always been the worrier of their group- the one who fretted the most about them when they were hurt or sick, the one who never teased them because he was afraid to go too far. The one who was always there for the others, though he himself was sometimes left behind. James felt a little guilty for that, and wished he could go back in time and berate himself for not being nicer to Peter. "He'll be fine," James said, determined to at least keep Peter in good spirits, even if he himself wasn't in the mood for it.

Sirius clapped Peter on the back, almost making the smaller man spit out his drink. Sirius had sensed that the time for worry was over. "Stop being such a woman and worrying so much. Drink and be a man!" He took a drink of his beer as if to emphasize that beer drinking meant manliness.

"You're the one who started it," Peter said, looking a little offended. He wiped foam from his mouth with his sleeve. "Quit picking on me, Sirius."

"Oh, learn to take a joke," Sirius said back, giving him a smirk. He took a drink of his beer. "Quite pathetic, you are."

Peter looked down at his drink, a frown on his face. He didn't say anything in response.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The light was on in Lily's classroom when James returned two hours later. He hesitated outside her door, then knocked and went in.

His lips twitched when he saw her laying sound asleep on the couch, a book and a cold cup of tea on the floor. The two rabbits were on top of her, apparently asleep as well.

He felt a bit ridiculous doing it, but took the blanket off the back of her desk chair and covered her up, rationalizing it to himself by noting that it was cold in the classroom, and it didn't mean anything more than that. She stirred as he tucked the blanket around her, not disturbing the rabbits either.

She woke up then. He heard the change in her breathing as soon as he put the lights out, and looked over to the couch again.

"James?" she asked, her voice filled with sleep. She sat up, putting the rabbits on the floor and pushing the blanket off her. "What time is it?"

"Quarter after three," he answered. "Why aren't you in bed?"

She wiped her eyes and stood up, looking at the blanket with confusion, then at him, a small smile suddenly appearing on her face. "You tucked me in," she said, sounding as though he were a child and had just done something "aww" worthy.

He felt himself flushing and was grateful for the dark. "In case you hadn't noticed, they don't heat this castle very well."

She laughed softly and folded the blanket up. "Come on in."

He shook his head. "No... You're obviously tired, and you've an appointment in the morning."

She crossed the room and stopped a little in front of him. "That didn't stop you from coming in here a bit ago."

He shrugged. "Your light was on. I figured you were awake." He took a step back, a little closer to the door. "It's late anyway. I'll see you in the morning."

"You wake me up and then you leave?" she asked with a short laugh. "Does that mean I can do that to you?"

He shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'd hex you."

"I'd charm your voice to sound like that of a twelve year old girl," she replied immediately. "Permanently."

He smiled. "Sirius and I tried to do that to Snape in fifth year- it didn't work."

"I was the best in Charms six years in a row," Lily reminded him. "It'll work for me."

"Be that way," he grumbled.

"I suppose I should walk you to your door then," she said. "Since you were kind enough to tuck me in and all."

He hated himself for feeling embarrassed by her amused tone.

From the smirk on her face, he wasn't hiding it as well as he'd hoped. He rolled his eyes and stepped out of the classroom.

True to her word, she walked all the way next door with him, and then they looked at each other. "Shall I walk you to your door now?" he teased, and before she could stop him, he took her arm and walked her back to her room.

She laughed softly and leaned against the wall, looking up at him and taking his hand. Her hand was soft and small in his. "Are we going to play games all night long?" she asked.

"No," he said softly. "I think the games are done with for now."

They kissed then, in the dim light of the hallway, their lips meeting for the first time in a long, lingering kiss. He closed his eyes and knew she had done so too. His fingers found their way up to touch her hair, and he realized that it was as soft as it had looked.

Her fingers skimmed across his jaw, and one hand rested against his chest, and she made a soft noise when their lips parted, as though she were being deprived of something. They gazed into each other's eyes for a very long moment before he kissed her again, lightly. 

Neither broke the embrace for a long moment after their lips parted again. 

Then she smiled a little and let her hands drop to her sides and he stepped back, smiling back at her. "Good night, Lily," he said.

"Good night, James," she said again, and stepped inside her classroom, glancing back at him again before she shut the door.

He waited a few minutes before he turned around and looked over into the shadows of the Transfiguration classroom's doorway. "Enjoy the show, ma'am?"

"I heard voices," Minerva answered, sounding mildly guilty beneath the tough front she tried to put up. She stepped out of the shadows a little. "And there were students out of bed not twenty minutes ago. I assumed that it was them, back again. By the time I realized who it was, I didn't want to... disturb you. But be grateful it's just me."

He nodded solemnly, torn between the urge to laugh that she felt the need to explain herself, or cringe because she still held a lot of authority in his mind. "We'll try to be more careful about kissing next time, Professor. Make sure no one's around to spy."

She crossed her arms in front of her. "There _are_ students around," she said. "Not all of them would understand what the Dark Arts professor was doing kissing the Muggle Studies witch."

"You're quite right," James said. "I'm so very ashamed of myself, and I'll be sure to lecture Lily in the morning too."

Minerva sighed. "Still impossible, aren't you? Go to bed, Mr. Potter."

"Good night, Professor," James said, walking back to his own room.

"Good night, James," Minerva said, and as he unlocked his own door, he heard her opening and closing hers.

He shook his head a little. Gossip would be all over the school by morning.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Okay, I feel better now. I don't know if you'll think it's better or not, but I do, so... Yeah. Those of you who have already read this, I'm sorry for making the first version suck so very much, and I hope this is better. Because of my previous attempt and it's horrible-ness, please don't feel obligated to review or anything. The first one was *not* my best chapter, and I feel like I owe all of you an apology for posting it at all. But I guess the fantastic reviews (not completely praise but actual content) helped a *lot*.

**UNCHANGED REVIEW RESPONSES  
an_angels_reflection**- thanks for reading, and yes, I pity the poor dears too! Hope you liked it!  
**Lamina** **Court**- *grin* You're right, I like cheesy lines a lot. :o) And yes, you're excused from the questions- and you still get full marks because you answered some. I did take your review into consideration when dealing with Sybil... More about her at the end. Due to your request, and requests from several others, the bowling scene happened- though without bowls. lol- I'm a sadist because of the deaths? Cool! Man, OotP is a long time away! *whines* *moves on* Thanks for reviewing!  
**WitchKingsMiniMe**- Interesting name. :o) Poor Remmy is in for a rough time of it all- keep that plushie close. Um... any idea where I can get a plushie? :o) You know, one for each of the boys?   
**Beak**- Glad you enjoyed, and hope you've read the rest!  
**everblue3**- Darn you for being a girl! Grrr... I could live with the rest, even Milwaukee (I doubt you'd be willing to move just for little old me, and I'm somewhat happy here), but that female thing... *pouts*  
*moves on* I wish I'd thought to include a comment like that- about how it won't take the pain away... Hrm.. Our decanters have sherry, some kind of wine that I don't particularly like, brandy, and I think one whiskey- that's one area of alcohol I do know, but I wasn't sure what kind would be most appropriate for four hurting guys, so I decided to leave it up to the imagination.  
WAG is Wild Ass Guess, but I suppose "Wise" works just as well. :o) Sorry, it's commonly used in my family, so I figured most people were familiar with it. :o) I've had a huge row with myself over what to do with Sybil and her potential boyfriend (who wasn't actually going to be Sirius) and I've decided that I don't want that to be the focus of the story. Maybe I'll write another story about her and a guy one day, just to satisfy my insanity. I do like your reasoning for Sirius's laughter- and I may have to steal it. I haven't actually decided if I do that particular scene, but we'll see... That's going to be a horrible, wonderful, miserable part of the story to write, you know? lol, I appreciate your suggestions on her though. Thanks.  
It was frustrating to read the Lily/Sybil/Taura argument? How so? I'm glad you thought it made sense though.  
Well, I'm glad you think I handled the last chapter's slowly growing L/J-ness. This chapter might have ruined it though. Feel free to be honest about if you thought it sucked, or didn't work, or whatever.  
*sniff* My poor Remus... He's got so much more to go through too, and then by the time it gets sorted out, his friends will all be dead or locked up, and he'll be alone. I'm glad to hear you appreciated the idea of Remus being treated differently- I wanted to include that so badly, and I'm glad someone noticed it. :o) You'll start to see more distance between him and the others soon, and soon enough you'll start to see how he gets to be suspect. And, well, you'll see what happens with him. *evil grin*  
James will get over his issues with what he's doing eventually, though I'm still trying to sort out who it should come up with. I know when it'll happen, but I'm not so sure about if it'll be Lily or someone else... Again, we'll see. :o)  
*sigh* You get your way with Sybil. And Peter will be suspicion-less, and already discussed Remus. lol, and I like your "words" quote. Very nice- and I might steal it for my signature for one of my e-mail addresses. :o)  
lol- and you're not a slash fan? Well, you're the first one who noticed that comment and mentioned it... :o) Thanks for everything, of course!  
**mooncancer**- lol, the 2nd to notice the slash mention. Sorry to scare you so much. But, as you just read, I refrained from any thing of the sort. :o)  
**StormMuse**- lol, I'm glad you're enjoying. And that you think this story kicks ass. :o) Thanks for reviewing!  
**Jemi_Fal**- Sorry to make you want to cry! I really didn't mean to!... okay, so maybe I did. Thanks for reviewing!  
**Quack Quack 88**- Thanks for the review, and lol- "her inner eye wouldn't like it if her head was up in the clouds. You could say that it'd get cloudy." lol, that's so funny! Thanks! :o)  
**tigerlily**- a bit of snogging for you- does that make you happy? :o)  
**Got Harry**- Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I had a tough time deciding what to do about Sybil, though it wasn't going to be with Sirius. :o) Peter's position will soon start to be clear to you and everyone... :o) Thanks so much for your review- and I'm glad to hear that you read the Next Up part. :o) That was a fast update?! I don't even remember how long it was... lol. This one's about two weeks though. Thanks for reviewing!  
**Mooky**- lol, you think Sybil should get a crush on someone? lol, and you think she should go around telling people "I told you so?" lol, that would be funny... We'll see how it works out. More Peter comments below... Remus comments below... And I tried to do a little bit of fluffy, but I also wanted to keep the main plot in focus... _Very_ glad to hear you like Sybil!  
**Vega Black**- Well, the students didn't catch them, but McGonagall did... But there are still several months of school left, so we'll see. Thanks for answering my questions, and for reviewing!  
**Sayo**- Thanks for reviewing. One more vote for the Yes, Sybil Should get Sirius as a boyfriend column... :o) I'm sorry you dislike Peter so much... I've always felt he was one of the most important characters. Not to mention, he was a very good friend of James and Remus and Sirius for a few years before he turned bad- he wasn't always evil. And I do understand why you get so upset, I also feel the need to remind you that maybe if MPP had been around for _him_ more often, he might not have gone bad...  
**Rita Skeeter**- *blushes* You think it's powerful? I'm very pleased to hear that. Before I respond to the rest though, I wanted to thank you for your review- it was a very good review, and thought provoking as well. :o) Thank you very much, I _really_ appreciate it.  
lol, I truly didn't mean to make a play on "serious" and "Sirius". Really, I didn't. More about Sybil below.  
Peter's weird in this story? Is it good weird or bad weird? More about Peter below.  
Glad to hear you think Remus's bit wasn't inaccurate. :o) And I'm sort of heading in the same direction as you suggested, so... :o)  
Here's your lighter fluffier chapter... *sigh* For what it's worth. And there will eventually be a wedding, though I don't know exactly when- I've changed my story around some more!  
**Kristinerz77**-lol, no, I wasn't serious about What's Next. :o) And I think L/J have admitted it in this chapter, don't you agree?  
**Aileron**- Better late than never! :o) You two are awesome enough that you deserve a dedication at least- though I wish I could have dedicated a happier chapter. But I like the last chapter a lot anyway, so I figure it works. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and I'm glad you think I'm good at torturing my brainchildren. I really should stick with that.... :o)

**QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS**: (Feel free to skip the reviews for this chapter since I screwed around with everyone and changed it up. But those of you who feel generous, feel free to say what you think!)  
**1.)** **Remus**- Most of you felt pretty bad for Remus... Well, just as a reminder, he _does_ end up being the number one suspect in the eyes of Sirius and James. Sirius we know because he says as much, James we know because he chooses Peter as the Secret Keeper, not Remus- or that's one theory at least. So I'm sorry to say that life is not going to be pleasant for poor Moony. More fun for me though!  
**2.)** **Peter**- Just to give you a timeline, it's early 1979 right now. That means we've still got two years until October '81. Peter didn't really get mixed up with Voldemort until about a year before That Day. Don't worry, I'll drop hints when it comes that time, and I'm sure you'll pick it up. Until then, he's going to be having a tough time fitting in with everyone.  
**3a.)** **Spelling Sybil Trelawney & Other Bits**- Do you know that her name is actually spelled "Sybill"? I didn't realize that until the start of this chapter, when I was looking something up at the Lexicon... Um... sorry? I'm not going to change it midway through the story though, maybe when I'm finished I'll go back and do it. Maybe. :o( Anyway.  
After last chapter's mini-poll, I found that that the Sybil gets a boyfriend people and the Sybil doesn't get a boyfriend people were split right in the middle. It was a very tough decision, and I decided that I wanted to focus more on the other things that were going on, and that it would be easier and make more sense if Sybil didn't get involved with anyone. (Any guesses on who it was going to be? :o) So, thank you for your help with that decision. I'm considering writing a Sybill fic after I finish this and a few others, maybe then she'd get a lover.  
**3b.)** **Spelling Taura Sinastra & Other Bits**- Do you know that her last name is spelled Sinistra, not Sinastra?! Man, I wish someone would tell me these things! *weak laugh* Um... yeah, thanks to Aileron for pointing that out to me. Everyone, feel free to call me an idiot for such stupid mistakes. Any others, while we're talking about it? (*mutters furiously* Now I feel like a hypocrite for getting so pissed when people spell names wrong- of course, at least I've had the important names right- Lilly Evens and Jemas Patter!) Now for the other bits- um... Actually, I'm just curious what y'all think... Any comments about her?  
**4.)** **Fluff**- I hope that this is light enough for you all to find acceptable- this is as fluffy as I can handle. And I'll tell you, I'm *not* looking forward to having to write the wedding. I also sincerely hope that this revised version is better than the original, but if it's not, please feel free to tell me- I really appreciate honesty in reviews, even if it's not the greatest news for my ego.  
**5.)** As always, I'm interested in hearing any additional comments or suggestions you have. It really does help me figure out what I'm doing when I hear from you!  
**RECOMMENDED FICS**: I'm sure you'll want something better after this chapter, so again I'll refer you to my Favorite Stories List- check it out, it's worth it!  
**A very special thank you **to everyone who's reviewed. This is the first time I've broken 100 with reviews, and I really can't thank you guys enough. You're way too good to me. *sniff* I can't even begin to describe how much I adore all of you. Thank you _so much_. (*sniff* I love you guys, siriusly!)

**UP NEXT**: Well, let's put it this way. I know what's going to happen, I'm just not sure of how to describe it, because it's a bit more than a Quidditch match, and really, the Quidditch match isn't even the focus, and so you'll just ahve to wait and see. *huffy sigh*


	10. Chapter Nine

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
CHARACTERS: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
RATING: PG-13  
SUMMARY: A Quidditch Match goes wrong, Death Eaters prove their something to worry about, and James faces the realities of what he was and what he is.  
DELAY: Well, I've had this chapter planned out and half written since the beginning of this story. Then I got to this point and realized that what I had happening wasn't working, and it's taken me almost an entire month to figure out what to do to get it right, and now I've looked at this chapter so much that it's really irritating me. But now it seems to be working, so... Without Further Ado, I present to you, Chapter Nine of _Winding Path_.

_Chapter Nine_

It was strangely amusing to be in the beginning stages of a relationship with another teacher. Lily had never quite thought about it before, but there was a lot that had to stay hidden. Not, of course, because she was ashamed of her relationship with James- which was growing more and more important to her at a frighteningly quick pace- but simply because they had to set an example for the students, and it wouldn't do for them to be seen snogging in the Astronomy Tower, as they would have in their earlier years.

When they had been students, they had had cheerfully and confidently paired up most of the members of the staff, snickering at some of them- like Professor Figg and Professor Dumbledore, and McGonagall and Flitwick, and certainly Filch and every staff member in the school since he was far too old for any of the students. (The last had brought every student to disgusted giggles every time it came up.)

It was a lot harder to find the humor when the rumors were going on about them- and some of them were serious!

James shared two notes he found with Lily, and while both found them amusing, it was also a little disconcerting, because it wasn't nearly as fun being the butt of the rumor instead of the founder of it.

And somewhat disgusting- Lily respected Professor Dumbledore a lot, but she had absolutely no interest in "shagging him" as one of their students suggested.

And James certainly not having an affair with Minerva McGonagall or Arabella Figg or both!

She hoped. Snickering a little, Lily recalled the more amusing effect of the notes- both of which had mentioned that James had a very nice arse. One of the notes had been all about how the writer spent the entire Dark Arts class drooling into her notebook and watching him (and wishing his pants were tighter).

Lily had never seen a man blush quite so much, and had found it incredibly amusing.

It was even funnier, however, when she poked her head in his class a few days after that and found that he was going out of his way not to turn around and show off his "incredible arse" to his students.

She'd laughed so hard that she'd had to run out of the room and hide in her classroom until the giggles stopped, and after the class had ended, James hadn't quite been able to look at her.

Lily was enjoying it more than she should have, but it was such a rare occasion that he blushed that she couldn't help it.

Most of the rest of the staff knew they were involved by now- between Minerva McGonagall's tale of their first kiss, Taura's not very discreet or quiet suggestions for them, and the fact that she was sure they had noticed her staring at him like a besotted fool, it was rather hard to miss.

Nonetheless, they were trying to keep things quiet. James had confessed that he didn't mind gossip about him, he just didn't care to _give_ people gossip, and Lily understood- though she didn't care to be gossiped about at all.

The only one who seemed to be against their relationship was Sybil, who would give them sharp looks when their hands brushed, and cross her arms impatiently when their eyes met. Lily felt mildly guilty and decided she should probably tell James about Sybil's predictions. Even if it would make things rather uncomfortable since their relationship was so young, and really, who wanted to be told that they were doomed if they decided they wanted their relationship to progress?

Lily wasn't entirely sure how he would react to hearing about that. She figured he would either look at her as though she were insane for even bringing it up, or shrug it off as though it were nothing.

Which, she admitted, was very likely. Sybil's predictions were just as often wrong as they were right.

But then, that also meant that they were right just as often as they were wrong.

James had already told her he didn't place much stock in predictions, so she was rather hoping he'd find it nothing more than an irritant.

Though she wasn't sure it would be a good idea to give him another reason to dislike Sybil.

So, instead of talking about her friends, they talked about anything and everything else. James was still reluctant to talk about his family, but Lily understood- it would take a long time to heal those wounds. 

He didn't mind listening to her talk about amusing occurrences during her Muggle Studies classes, and she didn't mind listening to him go on about his classes, or whatever else he felt like talking about. She liked that he felt like he could talk to her about things.

And amusingly enough, Lily even found herself interested in Quidditch when he talked about it- though he did get a little over-excited about it, in her opinion.

They talked about their students, and which ones were the troublemakers, and Lily admitted to him that no one had come close to topping what James and his friends had done the years they had been students. They were both thankful for that.

And they sat close and their hands touched and they kissed, and it felt like one of the strangest times of her life, because as miserable as the rest of the world was, when James was there with her, it was as though everything else was forgotten, and life was good.

By the time the end of February came around, the short kisses had been swapped out for longer ones, sometimes even lengthy snogging sessions, usually on the short couch in Lily's classroom, but also in his room, sometimes even on one of their desks, which amused her as much as it embarrassed her the day after.

The weekends were spent with their friends, with Fridays as a night for them do go out and do their own thing, and Saturdays as a night when they usually all went out together. Neither had early classes on Thursdays, so Wednesday nights they stayed up late as well, in addition to the time they spent together, which was scattered throughout their days and nights.

James was seeing Sirius on a regular basis now- almost every Tuesday night they went out to a pub and did "manly things" as James explained- and Lily found it amusing that he usually came in to kiss her goodbye before he went into Hogsmeade to see his friend.

She found it a lot less amusing when he returned with grim news of the Ministry's situation. 

There weren't enough Aurors, James had confided to her one night after leaving Sirius's side. No one would volunteer to train because it was so dangerous. Frank Longbottom's wife had been attacked not a week into February, and very nearly killed.

Who would want to knowingly submit to such risks?

It worried Lily a lot more than she wanted to admit when James seemed to take this news so hard- she knew without him telling her that he wanted to be out there, fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Every day, a new name was listed on the front page of the Daily Prophet- Voldemort's latest victims. He was relentless in his attacks, and on more than one occasion, students found out about the loss of a loved one through the newspaper rather than their families or a Mourner owl. It was so bad that the only businesses that were outright profiting from the dark times were the news industries and funeral parlors.

It was a regular occurrence for a student to be pulled out of school for a few days to attend a funeral.

On the second weekend of February, two students lost their parents. One, a second year Muggle-born, dropped out of Hogwarts completely. The other, a sixth year Hufflepuff, didn't bother going home- she had no one left to go to.

Far too often, James left the school at night, not to go visit with Sirius, but because he had to go to a funeral.

Life went on, despite the pain. 

One of Lily's roommates got married, and another had a baby. Those occasions were reunions for the women in Lily's graduating class, and some of the men as well.

Remus and Taura seemed to be growing closer, though Taura confessed he was still hurting pretty bad from his parents' deaths, and didn't take much time to see her. Lily picked up on tension between the couple, but had a hard time figuring out what exactly the problem was.

And of course, the students focused on the important things in life- like House Points and the Quidditch Cup.

There were two games left in the year, the first between the rivals Gryffindor and Slytherin, and the last between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.

It was almost a certainty that the Gryffindors or the Slytherins would win the Quidditch Cup- Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff had been slaughtered by the other two teams. ("As it should be," James had said with amusement.)

In addition to the two contests the Houses were fighting for, it seemed almost as though they were fighting for more than that.

Though no one voiced it, everyone knew that Slytherin was host to a large majority of the Death Eater families. In a way, it was known that all supporters of Slytherin were supporters of Voldemort. Gryffindor supporters were against Voldemort.

It was, of course, not the complete truth, but it was the prevalent attitude among many of the students, and so the rivalry got a little more personal and a little bit hotter.

The tensions were at a peak the first week of March, which was the week of the Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch match.

In all seven of their years at Hogwarts, neither Lily nor James could remember a time when it was uglier- certainly, the situation had never been fantastic between Gryffindors and Slytherins, but this made everything else pale in comparison.

James stayed up most nights and walked around the school, looking for students out of bed.

He caught three and saw two more, and told Lily he felt somewhat like a traitor when he turned them in to Minerva and Arabella.

Lily laughed at him.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The morning of the Quidditch match, the weather was wretched. It was raining, lightning lit the skies, and thunder woke most everyone up before seven, five hours before the match was to begin.

The Slytherins all wore their green sweaters and cloaks, and the Gryffindors wore red and gold. Several from each carried signs, and the star Gryffindor player wore a crown on his head- he was the King of Quidditch. James fought a grin- he'd been King two years in a row for Gryffindor house, and had been quite pleased by it. 

The Slytherins hissed at the boy and the other players, and James and Lily ended up escorting the two teams out along with McGonagall and Figg, who feared a fight would break out. 

James had barely restrained himself from pulling out his old uniform, and had settled on wearing a crimson sweater under his own black cloak. That much, he supposed, was allowed, since nearly everyone knew he'd been sorted into Gryffindor, and he'd sooner kiss Filch than wear Slytherin Green.

He hid a grin when Lily came down the stairs, not wearing her usual green cloak, but a black one instead, with a small Gryffindor pin on the collar. She smiled at him, and he knew she was thinking the same thing about him.

Taura walked with her, wearing her traditional yellow and black. Sybil was nowhere to be found, but Lily had told him a while ago that she couldn't stand Quidditch, and only went to the Hufflepuff matches, if she went at all.

Lily smiled up at him. "Good morning," she said. "Sleep well?"

She surprised him by taking his hand as they began walking. He didn't complain. "Quite well, actually." A little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone, not really. He'd actually had a rather vicious nightmare. "You two?"

Taura nodded. "Nicely, thank you."

Lily shrugged. "Fairly. Will you bet placing odds on the match?" she asked. "Arabella's cackling with glee over her Seeker, and McGonagall thinks that Gryffindor has it because of our Keeper."

"Our Keeper?" he teased, holding the door open for them.

She raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you misheard me. I certainly would not take sides at an event like this." She covered up her pin and smiled innocently.

Taura grinned. "Of course- she said _the_ Gryffindor Keeper, not _our_ Gryffindor Keeper, because Lily is perfect and would never show favoritism."

He rolled his eyes before answering. "I decided not to bet. I refuse to bet that Slytherin will win, and unfortunately, they do have a better Seeker, and no Keeper in the world has a chance against three good Chasers- which Slytherin also has."

Lily frowned. "Then you're saying that Gryffindor probably won't win?"

James sighed. "Alas, yes."

"I can't believe those words came out of your mouth, James Potter."

He shrugged. "I love my teams, but I do know how to judge them. We'll be down by at least one hundred before anyone catches the Snitch, and the Slytherin Seeker is better."

She looked torn between laughing and staring in shock. "I'm still trying to get a handle on this- even that match in sixth year when all three of you Chasers were out with injuries, and Sirius quit the team, you were still saying that Gryffindor would win."

"I was team captain," James said, amused. "Of course I said we would win." He remembered that game as well- he and the other two Chasers had been in a brutal fight with the Slytherins over whose turn it was to practice, and they'd all walked away nursing injuries- James had an extra hand, one of the others had an extra leg, and the other resembled something painted by Picasso. And, of course, it had been shortly after the Whomping Willow Incident- so Sirius had discreetly been told to turn in his resignation. They had lost by two hundred points- to Slytherin, at that. It was not his favorite memory from Hogwarts. James and Sirius had stopped speaking with each other for a week over everything, and then had made up when they'd punched each other. 

"The best match I ever saw was probably the last one in our seventh year," Lily said as they walked. "Between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw."

James nodded slightly, remembering. "It was pretty good." The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had been competing for first place- it had been a tight match, but Gryffindor had one. With a lot of thanks to him, James admitted, though he was normally rather modest. But he'd had a very good day, and had scored 80 points, including the one that brought them back from a deficit, and the ones that had kept them in the lead. "I take it back," he said, remembering the thrill of that particular victory. "It was very good."

"So modest," Taura sighed.

James shrugged. "It's a family trait, you should hear what David said...." It came out of his mouth before he thought about it. He shut up and for a moment, it hurt to think about things- it hurt to think that here he was, on his way to a Quidditch match, when the rest of his family would never even open their eyes again. And he wondered if it would ever stop hurting, because so far it hadn't, and would it always be this painful to think about them? "What David said about all the matches he was in," he finished a moment later, trying to keep his voice somewhat normal. 

Lily squeezed his hand, and for a moment, he forgot where they were and slipped an arm around her shoulders. She didn't fight it, and they walked in silence until they got to the gates. 

They had to walk single file up the stairs, and Taura followed them up, drawing Lily into a conversation about the game.

James found himself remembering the last time he and David had been at a Quidditch match together- David had invited him to a match against the Cannons, a real last minute thing.

They hadn't been out together in a while, and it had been even longer since they'd been out alone. Before it had been with their family along, or with Sirius, and even a few times out on double dates, David with his wife and James with whatever girl he'd been with at the time.

It had been fun- the Cannons had lost, of course, but they'd still argued about their chances at the cup- just for the hell of it, because the Potters had always been fans of the Cannons. James was something of a rarity in that he also liked Puddlemere and Montrose-of course, everyone understood, because they had, after all, offered him a spot on their teams.

And then a few weeks later, David had been killed, and they would never go to any more Quidditch games together.

They had reached the top. He followed Lily up and across, to the back row, and sat next to her, with Taura on the other side. 

"And will you be betting on the match, Potter?" Arabella Figg asked, true to Lily's predictions. She was giving him a smirk, as though she knew exactly why he wouldn't.

James raised an eyebrow. "My dear Professor Figg," he said. "Do you think I could live with myself if I fleeced you out of all of your precious Galleons? Really, ma'am, I couldn't."

The Potions mistress was not fooled, and her smirk was so obvious it was irritating. "Really? Are you quite certain it's not because of your fears that your Gryffindors will be soundly defeated."

James snorted. "We Gryffindors do not know the meaning of defeat."

McGonagall was joining them, garbed in a maroon gown. "Quite true, James. Arabella, leave the boy alone."

James winced. He felt like a student every time she called him 'boy'. 

He watched as the two House Heads sat next to each other and began trading insults and barbs about who would win.

"Poor Gryffindors," Lily murmured. "Our team hasn't won the Cup since you were playing."

James sighed. "I knew I should have failed all of my NEWTS and stayed on as an eighth year student."

Lily patted his shoulder. "There, there," she said. "I'm sure they'll win again soon."

"I do hope so," James sighed. "Otherwise I'll have to pull on my uniform and get some Polyjuice Potion and save the team."

She rolled her eyes.

The school nurse joined them, smiling pleasantly. "So, James," she said. "Who do you think will win it all in the League? My fiancée wants to make a bet on it, but I wanted to talk to you and find out what you think, since you know so much about it."

Since he liked her a lot, and was never able to resist talking about Quidditch, James was drawn into conversation with her, while Lily and Taura chatted amongst themselves.

The match started brutally, with the Slytherins scoring twice within the first two minutes.

James groaned along with his former house and watched as the Slytherins continued relentlessly, scoring more and more.

The first injury came twenty minutes into it, when one of the Gryffindor Chasers was hit by a Bludger and knocked to the ground.

James silently cursed the Slytherins, and then felt as thought that were an inappropriate thing to do because they were, after all, his students, and all younger than him, and really, it would not do to set such a poor example.

Next to him, he knew that Lily was watching him and laughing at his expression, but he found that he didn't mind that at all- it felt too good to just sit back and relax and watch a good old Quidditch match between his former team (it really had been his- captain and everything) and his arch-rivals- er, former, he quickly corrected, fighting a grin.

He lost the grin quickly enough when Slytherin scored again.

Arabella cackled with glee, and James had a feeling it would be a long day if Slytherin won. She was a fan of rubbing it in- even back when they'd been students, any time Gryffindor had lost a match, or Slytherin had won, she became quite unbearable to be around. 

The Gryffindors got the Quaffle and took it down to the Slytherin end, scoring on pure luck, and likely, James admitted, on that alone.

Minerva was on the edge of her seat next to the commentator, obviously fighting the urge to scream along with her students. Her eyes were wide and her hands were clenched in fists in front of her. She was gritting her teeth and obviously trying hard not to shout out whatever she was thinking, which was probably as inappropriate as what James was thinking.

James had to look away before he started laughing. In doing so, he saw Taura Sinastra's face lose all color. She jumped out of her seat. "Albus!" she cried, pointing towards Hogsmeade.

James and many others looked to see where she was pointing.

James felt his stomach twist. Glittering green light shining down over Hogsmeade, and fires already working their power on some of the buildings.

Someone tapped the Headmaster on the shoulder, and he looked and lost his smile at once. He stood up, pointing his wand at the field, to Madam Hooch, and speaking too softly for him to hear.

A silvery white phoenix shot out the end, and a moment later, Hooch turned and seemed to listen to the bird speaking.

"What's going on?" Lily asked, still sitting. She glanced over at Hogsmeade, but didn't understand. Next to her, Taura still stood, white-faced and staring.

He gave them a grim look. "It's the Dark Mark. Over Hogsmeade- the Death Eaters are too close to the school to risk the students being out."

That explanation was coming from several people at once. Minerva, alerted to the Dark Mark now, was standing and leaning over to talk to Dumbledore.

On the field, Hooch immediately began blowing the whistle. "TIME OUT!" she roared. "TIME OUT!"

Puzzled, the two teams slowed to a halt, looking around curiously and shooting irritated looks at her.

McGonagall used the Sonorus Charm. "All students return to your towers immediately, in an orderly fashion."

A roar of outrage from the crowd followed that statement, and several indignant cries came from the players on the field.

"You two," Arabella Figg said, pointing over at Lily and Taura. "Take the Gryffindors- Minerva will have her hands full dealing with the rest of this mess. We will get our houses, and Vanessa will get the Quidditch teams."

Dumbledore nodded grimly. "The rest of you, disperse to fend the wards- James, take the far side of the castle with Hagrid, and the rest of you to your traditional places."

The staff began filing out. James slid out and moved closer to Dumbledore, who looked at him patiently, even as he shook his head. "The students need your help more than the villagers- they will have help from the Aurors. The students are, for the most part, defenseless. I know that it is contrary to your instincts, but the best thing you can do is help secure the wards."

James had no choice but to do as the Headmaster wanted. It went against everything inside of him to ignore the Dark Mark above Hogsmeade, as Dumbledore had said. He tried to convince himself that it was better this way.

Lily touched his arm and they joined the group going down the stairs. "If they get into the castle," Lily reminded him softly. "It would be worse than anything that might happen in Hogsmeade."

He nodded stiffly, knowing she was right, and it was his duty to defend the students. 

But damn it all, it was hard.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Sirius studied James's face and was worried about his friend. However, he could also tell that James wasn't in the mood to talk about what was bothering him. Frowning, he drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. "Bob Wright was killed about a month ago," he said. "You remember him at all?"

"One of David's old buddies," James said, nodding.

Sirius hadn't known about that connection. He winced. "Yeah, well...His brother-in-law was one of the men killed today. His wife gave birth to twins about two months ago. The other was an old man, a Squib. He worked at Honeydukes. The woman who died... I don't know if you heard, but it was Marcella, Rosemerta's sister." James nodded, signifying that he'd heard. They exchanged a long look, both remembering the number of occasions they'd flirted with the sisters- and best friends- at the Three Broomsticks. And now only Rosemerta was left. "There were about four others injured pretty bad, and a bunch of places destroyed." He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair.

He'd been on the backup team for the day, and had only arrived after the main force. Still, the images of the day were gruesome. The old man had been tortured, and Wright had been killed in some bloody fashion- they were still trying to figure out the curse that had been used.

"No word on why they attacked?" James asked.

Sirius shook his head. "Nothing so far. We're assuming it's the general scare tactics."

James nodded. "Albus said he'd cancelled all Hogsmeade visits for the rest of the year, and possibly next year. Black Market on sweets will be running high."

Sirius managed a grin. When they'd been students of the school, he'd taken it literally- The Black Market, run by Sirius Black. Of course the other boys had helped, but he'd insisted on it being the Black Market with No Other Names.

Sirius leaned back in his chair, stretching so much that his back cracked before he looked at James again. "Have you decided what you're going to do?"

James raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

Sirius gave him an irritated look. "It's March. Classes let out in June. You're going to have to make a decision on if you're staying or not."

James nodded slightly, his expression perfectly blank. Sirius knew that meant that it wasn't up for discussion at the moment.

But he had to push, because James had to know the importance of it. Of all people, he knew what it was going to take for James to return to being an Auror, and he knew it wouldn't be easy. But he knew it was what James had always wanted to do, and he also knew that James would regret it if he didn't. "We need you, Jim," Sirius said, watching his best friend carefully for any emotion. "Twelve Aurors have dropped out since you left, and we've got two more looking to go in our department." His lips twisted bitterly. "Not to mention all the dead ones."

James looked away. "I know."

Sirius took a drink of water. James had told him in short sentences what he'd done after they'd seen the Dark Mark, and Sirius knew that James was frustrated because of his torn loyalties, and the fact that he felt like he hadn't done anything when he could have helped.

It wasn't pleasant to realize it, but if James had left the Quidditch Match straight away, he would have beaten the first group of Aurors there, and either of the two dead men or maybe even Marcella might have had a chance. Death Eaters tended to run away quickly when the Aurors showed up. He hoped James didn't realize how slow they'd been to react that afternoon.

Sirius sighed and stood up, setting his water on the edge of James's desk. "I'm going to get going. I'm dead tired."

James stood up as his friend stood. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't even think about it, or I'd have sent you home a long time ago."

Sirius shrugged and led the way out of the office. "It's all right. I'd have ignored you anyway, I'm sure."

James clapped him on the back. "You are rather stubborn, I suppose."

They stepped down the stairs, entering the classroom. "Speaking of women," said Sirius, looking for a lighter topic. "How's Lily?"

"She seems to be doing all right," James answered, not looking particularly surprised by the change in subject. 

"Have you slept with her yet?"

James gave him a look that could only be described as irritated. "First off, it's none of your business."

"That's a no," Sirius concluded, hiding a smile.

"Second... Well, I don't have a second. So shush up."

"You declared your love for her yet?" Sirius asked.

James gave him a startled look. "Excuse me?"

"Do I need to act it out?" Sirius asked. "Really, Jim. You're rather obvious about it. She probably knows already. She love you?"

James looked flustered. "I really don't-how did you-She didn't-"

Sirius smiled tiredly. "Take her to town, buy her dinner, tell her, give her a ring, be happy."

James stopped walking. "Give her a ring- Sirius, I don't even know if I'm that serious about her!"

Sirius softened his tone. "You mentioned her to your mum and dad before you'd even snogged her, Jim. I'd say that was a clue."

James looked down, frowning, and began walking again. "Sometimes I regret ever telling you about that stuff," he muttered.

Sirius patted him on the back. "You know even better than I do that your mum and Dad would tell you to go for it if they were here. Your mum would have booked a bloody reception hall already. If she were a ghost, she'd be pestering me to do so on your behalf."

James laughed shortly. Sirius frowned and studied him carefully. It hadn't been a long time that James had been able to deal with casual discussion of his parents, and sometimes Sirius wondered if he was really ready even now. 

But James was looking more annoyed than mournful, and this was a relief to Sirius- it meant he was focusing on the Lily Situation, rather than his family so much. Good progress, considering it had been only six months. 

Sirius continued to study him, aware that James had noticed and was giving him an annoyed look. It hadn't hit Sirius until about two weeks ago, when the group of them- except for Remus and Taura, Remus having had to go to work, and Taura deciding to stay home- had been out to see a Muggle movie. Sirius still wasn't entirely sure what had clued him into what was going on between the two, but the expression on James's face when he'd looked at Lily had certainly helped. And judging by her expression when she looked at James, Sirius figured she was a goner as well. 

And since he had been seeing a rather attractive blonde he'd met at a pub for almost a month already, Sirius was surprisingly okay with everything. Most of the time. Sometimes it was still a bit frightening to think that James was really that serious about a woman, and he wondered if things would be very different if James and Lily ever actually did get married or even engaged.

Not discreetly, James changed the subject, drawing Sirius's attention again. "I don't understand what the motivation for attacking Hogsmeade could be," he said. "All it does is strengthen our defenses."

Sirius shook his head. "We've been trying to work it out all day. The only reason he could be doing it is just to scare people."

James snorted. "Hogwarts is still the safest place in the entire Kingdom," he said. "People should just wait it out."

But they both knew it was a bit of bravado- Hogsmeade was very close to Hogwarts.

Sirius glanced over at James, and found him looking back. "How many times did we sneak in?" James asked, his expression light, though it was obviously an act.

"I stopped counting," he admitted. "Too many."

They'd only been caught twice- once when someone had robbed Honeydukes while they were inside, and were then held after for questioning, and once more when Arabella Figg had walked into Zonko's and found them, having seen them through the window on her way to the Potions shop to buy a few things.

"I'll have to talk to the shopkeepers in town," James said, frowning. "Ask them to let me know if students are going in. I have to go into town soon anyway. I suppose we have another funeral to go to."

Sirius sighed. "Poor Rosie," he said. "I wonder if she's even going to keep it open any more. It's a lot of work for one woman. It was a lot of work for two, and I know Marcella usually did the numbers."

They passed by the Great Hall. "Where'd you leave your broom?" James asked, glancing in the hall to see that no students were still in there.

Sirius pointed to the closet in the entry way to the castle. "I'm working overtime this week," he said. "So if I don't show up Friday night, don't be surprised."

"Send an owl," James said as Sirius opened the closet and pulled out the broom. "It'll take five minutes, and it'll mean peace of mind to us."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "You worry too much." Then he realized that, given the day's happenings, perhaps not. "All right. As soon as I can, I'll let you know for sure. Lily still wants to go see a movie Saturday?"

James nodded. "Yeah. She asked what kind I wanted to see. I don't know what it is, so I couldn't say."

"You want something with blood and guts," Sirius said. "Otherwise you'll end up watching some romantic thing, and they're awful. Though," he said, grinning. "Now that you're getting all settled down with Lily, maybe it's time you gave in and let her choose that sort of thing."

James stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Stuff it," James advised.

Sirius smirked and glanced at the clock above the door. "I'll see you soon then," he said.

"Right," James said, nodding. "Take care."

"You too."

He hopped on the broom and took off.

He glanced back as he got to the edge of the woods, and found that James was still in the doorway, watching.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

_You declared your love for her yet?_

It was two weeks later, but Sirius's words were still driving him insane. 

Not so much because he hadn't known it- or at least suspected it- when Sirius had said it, but because Sirius thought it was so obvious.

James hadn't ever been in what he would call "love". He'd been in "like", and been in "lust", and been sincerely confused about all of the L-words many times. But never in love. This was different, and he liked it, and he didn't want it to go wrong. He'd never told any woman that he loved her -family aside- and wasn't entirely sure if it was acceptable to just say it or not. Given the choice, he'd have just skipped past all the fancy formal stuff, and just said it, and she would have said it back and life would be just dandy. But every time he tried to say it, he felt like a little boy stuttering while trying to talk to a beautiful woman. His tongue got tied up in knots and his brain went blank, and on more than one occasion, Lily had given him a worried look and felt his forehead, as though she thought he had a fever.

He was very irritated with himself about the entire situation, and Sirius wasn't helping much. Since he'd been so busy with over time at work, they hadn't had the opportunity to see each other. But every owl they exchanged, Sirius ended it with "Have you told her yet?" or some variation of it. Lately, it had been a bit more obnoxious- "Aren't you going to _ever_ tell her?" or, James's favorite, "You git, just tell her!"

James personally couldn't wait until Sirius fell for a woman, because he was planning on making life miserable for him. 

And Remus had a somewhat serious interest too, but Sirius hadn't made a single mention of any L-word in regards to them. 

Of course, Remus had pretty much confided in them that he and Taura weren't looking for a serious relationship. He didn't want one because he thought he was a monster- he didn't say that of course, but James knew him well enough to fill in the blanks- and Taura was very uncomfortable around him when the full moon rolled around, and made a lot of flimsy excuses to avoid him.

James knew from a lot of previous experiences that wizards and witches from pureblood-or even half blood- families often struggled to get over their prejudices, and a lot of them weren't successful. Peter had been nervous, but once he realized that Remus couldn't "infect" him with the werewolf thing except on the full moon, he relaxed. James had had a very difficult time with it, though he'd hidden it well- not so much because anyone in his family was particularly prejudiced, but because he'd been taught that they were Dark Creatures, and therefore, Evil. Sirius had just rolled his eyes and had assured them that a werewolf was nothing compared to what freaks some of his mum and dad's family were.

The difference between himself and Taura, of course, was that James had straightened out and learned better. Taura was snogging Remus, but still couldn't manage that. 

James hated that Remus was okay with the situation, and found himself uncomfortable around Taura.

And since he didn't particularly like Sybil either, he felt bad, because Lily got on with Sirius, Peter and Remus quite well, and they all seemed to like her, too. Sirius had flat out said so, Remus seemed relaxed around her, and Peter smiled and teased her a lot.

He'd already promised himself that he would do his best to smile and nod and get along with the two women, come hell or high water, and so far, his resolve hadn't been tested. 

This was made much easier, of course, by Sybil's reluctance to go to most places, and Taura's strange schedule of classes. She had a lot of night classes because that's when the stars and sky were easiest to see, and so had a very strange sleep schedule.

Last night had been some special occasion, and she had been up all night teaching and studying the stars, and was planning on sleeping all day to recover.

Sybil was holding an extra class for her most dedicated students, and was unavailable.

Which was perfectly all right with James, not only because of his discomfort around them, but also because he wanted to be alone with Lily. He'd decided that one way or another, whether he had to stutter it out, or write it down on a parchment in shove it in her face, or managed to say it in a somewhat acceptable manor, he was going to tell her that he loved her, because the discomfort of not saying it was bothering him greatly.

He looked through the window of an odds-and-ends shop in the center of town and tried to practice what he'd say. Then he sighed and turned around, giving up, because he refused to rehearse anything. That was what a kid would do, and he was an adult now, and damn it, he'd do it right.

_Lily I think I love you. _Or maybe, _Lily, I've got something to tell you, and I hope you'll say you feel the same..._

James rolled his eyes and glanced around town. It was fairly empty, considering it was a Saturday morning, But then, with the Death Eater attack not two weeks ago, people were skittish.

James started to go to the Three Broomsticks, where he'd told Lily he would meet her. As he started, he saw her at that end of town, carrying a large bag of some kind and going towards the door. He relaxed. At least she wasn't standing him up or anything.

She paused on the way in, letting someone else slip in past her. James's attention was drawn to the man, who wore a long black cloak with the collar turned up. He looked as though he belonged at the Hog's Head rather than the Three Broomsticks.

The man in question glanced around and folded down his collar, and James caught a glimpse of his face.

Ice gripped James's heart as he recognized him. Rodolphus Lestrange- a man suspected to be a Death Eater. He and his wife were believed to be in the innermost circle of Voldemort's ranks, but no one had been able to finger them...

James discretely drew his wand and started walking towards Lestrange, keeping his eyes open for Bellatrix Lestrange as well- where one went, the other was not far behind.

Neither of them had any business in Hogsmeade, and the only reason he could imagine they were there was for no good. It would do no harm to question him for a little, and while James couldn't use "Auror Business" as his excuse, he could always use the old fall back- they'd been classmates, though in different houses. And neither had liked each other, but it was a technicality.

Lestrange glanced around again and this time, saw James. His mouth twisted into a sneer and he began walking in the opposite direction. James sped up to catch him, dread growing within him. He had a terrible feeling that something was going to happen.

Lestrange kept walking, past the Three Broomsticks, going towards the Hogsmeade Station, which had a train stopped in front of it.

James slowed down in front of the Three Broomsticks, tense and worried. Clearly Lestrange wasn't going to talk to him. And if he was leaving, then that meant he couldn't be doing anything... Right?

Uncertain, he stopped, still looking after Lestrange, who hadn't looked back, and was drawing all that much closer to the train.

And then the Three Broomsticks exploded, flames bursting from the windows and sending glass and shrapnel flying through the air.

James was knocked to the ground by the force of the explosion, and even as he stumbled to his feet, he felt terror grip him.

Lily was inside.

Before he could move, he felt a wand against the back of his head, and heard a woman's voice. "I don't think so, Auror Potter."

**REVIEW RESPONSE**: **From both versions of chapter eight**. The rewrite went out four days after the original went up, so if you only read the crappy version, please check out the less crappy version which is currently posted.**  
Aileron**- 1st Review: I think I talked to you about most of it already, but I wanted to thank you for your review. It was extremely helpful in figuring out what I liked and didn't like about that chapter. *blushes* And I'm glad you like my story so much. :o)  
2nd Review: You deserve more than a dedication, but I don't know what else to offer you. :) Glad you liked the rewrite better (I certainly do!) You really think it has a British air to it?! Oh, cool!! lol. I'm very glad to hear that.  
Well, in this chapter, Romance Has Been Established, so i hope it's still believable. Yeah, I'm feeling bad for poor Moony as well. The dear sweet wolfie... *sigh*  
Yes, there's a bit of a psychological sub-plot for Peter, though it won't get much attention. I love the dear boy (for a bit longer, anyway), but he's not the focus of the story. Hopefully, you'll see hints of it throughout the rest of the story.  
*grin* Hope your brain isn't feeling quite as mushy any more. When's the next chap coming out?!  
**Anon**- Oooh!!!! Is that some sort of criticism?! 'Cuz I've been *dying* for a flame, so if you read any more of this, would you elaborate?! Please?!  
**Got Harry**- Glad you enjoyed the bowling, since that part's still in there! :o) 2.) I didn't know that JKR's Dad was named Peter... Hrm, that's interesting... *raises eyebrow* I'll have to think about that a bit more. 3.) lol- glad you didn't notice all the errors. Another notch in the Sirius column, but no such luck. I don't think anyone will figure it out. Maybe I'll ask about it at the end of the story, and people will get it then... Hrm. You didn't notice Taura's name? Well, that's good, I suppose. And yes, she is tricky to figure out... Well, she's going to get worse. :o) lol- and glad you read the Up Next.  
**Y. Kuang**- Well, I got rid of a lot of the fluff in the last chapter's rewrite, so I hope you like it better. I didn't particularly like the first version either, and I quite agree with your assessment. And I would not disregard your review even if you *had* been the only one to say such things. I value your opinion, and I appreciate your comments. I don't always notice the things I do wrong, and I need people like you to tell me so! So, thank you, and there are no apologies necessary!  
**everblue3**- *sigh* I suppose you didn't have much choice in being a girl anyway. You're forgiven, but just this once! Aww... doggies! lol. And good luck finding any dog that won't chew or pee all over everything. Girls are better, aren't they? Okay, you've convinced me. (And I have a boy puppy who's about 6 and still manages to use my bed as his personal toilet. He's got a weak bladder, it's nothing personal. I hope.)  
lol. Well, my drunken stories aren't all that amusing, but they do teach me to moderate how much I've had. lol. Your words are encouraging me to consider writing a Sybil fic. Hrm... But I can't handle having yet another story on my plate, so that gest pushed aside 'til later. Well, I suppose I'm sorry that you don't like hot-headed fights. I don't particularly like writing fights, but I'm trying to work tension into the relationship between the three of 'em. So, yeah. :o)  
Glad to hear you think I made up for it by the end. I still reworked it, but I"m still glad to hear that. (And I want more OOS!!!)  
lol. Well, I was sort of inspired for this chapter, so hopefully it's better. It's been a chapter I've been looking forward to since Day 1. :o) I don't know if it's a "brainchild of some little niggling", but I've been looking forward to it. (*squeals* OOooh! OotP!! SOON!) I like McGonagall a lot too. She's my favorite teacher on the staff, though Sybil's a close second. (And Lily and James in this fic, but that's obvious, I'm sure.)  
Remus will be turned into a suspicious character. But right now it's still spring of '79, so I've got a bit of time before that has to happen. lol. You don't think I could write tawdry romances? My dad was just telling me that I have a real talent for bull shit, and i could put any author to shame. 'Course, he's biased, so maybe not. And I take no offense- I rather like more serious plots, because fluff is boring. Yay Tragedy!  
Just for you, I pulled out all specific references to Muggle culture, so hopefully that will help out.  
Peter's commitment to the Order and Dumbledore will eventually be enforced. I shall say no more. :o)  
Wow... If Taura changed her name by one letter and went into hiding and called it good... lol, stupid story idea. lol. I"m moving on now.  
A mention of James's family and angst about moving too fast? there's a bit of it. And the Quidditch match gone wrong almost got changed around, but it never had anything to do with a rogue bludger. lol. Or swallowing a snitch.  
And it's not fair to use my words against me! It's just not write! *sigh* Happy writing to you as well!  
**Mooky**- Sorry to remove the movie parts that you said you liked- they were just too fluffy for me. Sybil and the dressing thing- she's always had an issue with dressing appropriately, and doesn't seem to mind getting strange looks. Glad you liked the tension.  
**Lamina Court**- Remus is going to have ups and downs- he'll get a little happiness, then it'll get ripped away from him. :o) I like torturing him- it's not that I have anything against him, it's just fun- and he's an easy target. :o) I'd like to see your Remus fic like that though. lol.   
Sorry you don't like Peter. (I do- for a while longer, anyway.) Sirius was not who Sybil would end up with, but you're not the only one to say that. People are shooting fireworks? Um... Sorry?! lol. *puts on dumb-US citizen cap* What's Victoria Day? And are fireworks a normal Victoria day thing? 'Cuz I thought it was just Guy Fawkes day that they did the fireworks on over there. (We only do them on the fourth of July for the most part.) lol. Feel free to call me an idiot all you want- I mis spelled two main characters names, I deserve it. *grin* Nope, no sex yet. lol. YAY! NOT MANY DAYS TO OOtP!!! :O)  
**Questions and Comments  
**1.) I went back through my reviews recently and saw one that suggested Lily as being a bit too perfect. Unfortunately, I think I'm seeing this happening again. Any thoughts on this? True or no? Suggestions or Observations? Etc.?!  
2.) I'm trying to put Lily and James together. I want it to be something that they both sort of just slide into, if that makes sense. I want this chapter to show that it's something that they both easily accept, and want, and know is real. Any comments or suggestions on their relationship thus far, or for in the future?  
3.) The beginning was supposed to cover a lot of time. Did it flow well? Was it too long? Too boring? Should I have done something different?  
4.) What do you think of this chapter? What do you think of the way it fits in with the rest of the chapters?  
5.) All additional comments are welcome. :o)  
**Up Next:** Sybil reads poetry, James does the hula, Lily becomes a auto mechanic. Actually, none of that happens, but can't you just see James in a grass skirt, coconuts, and swaying his hips? lol.  
Actually... The aftermath of the explosion- what happened to Lily? What happened to the rest of the people inside at the time? Was Lestrange really a part of it? If not, Who done it? *cue music* DUHN DUHN DUH... Find out next time in the next exciting chapter of.... WINDING PATH!!!  
(I never realized how much I dislike the name of this story until this chapter. Isn't that nice?)

**ATTENTION ALL MWPP WRITERS, ARTISTS, & FANS!  
**Lavender (The author of the Falling Trilogy) & I have teamed up to create a brand new mailing list for MWPP fans, called lazymwppwriters. It's a list for all the MWPP fans who want a place to talk about MWPP, their stories, their artworks, and all sorts of things. Lavender and I, who both like being lazy, came up with the idea and have decided we're brilliant for thinking of it, because surely we're not the only ones who love MWPP but have a problem with being lazy. Come prove us right and join up! Sign up by e-mailing: lazymwppwriters@yahoogroups.com, or click on my profile to learn more about the group and see the link! (Some of you will also be getting an invitation by e-mail if you've reviewed either of us before- join us!)  
As a bribe, (though I'm not sure how effective), I've posted two never-before-seen stories at the list in the files section, and anyone who joins will be seeing the next chapter a few days earlier than the rest who don't... :o)


	11. Chapter Ten

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
CHARACTERS: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
RATING: PG-13  
SUMMARY: An explosion in the Three Broomsticks. Lily was inside. It's not going to be a good day.  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I did research for this one!! Yay me!  
SPOILERS: Up to GoF (Book 4).  
DELAY: Er... Busy summer? Laziness? Lack of motivation? Pick one.  
OOTP NOTES: This fic was started Pre-OotP, and so will be different from the book. Certain names may be used that are from OotP, and new characters (if there are any coming, I can't remember at the moment) may have their personality adjusted slightly, but this story will not be changed for the most part. Don't like it? Don't read it.

_Chapter Ten_

"I don't think so, Auror Potter."

The voice was cold and unfamiliar, yet James knew who it had to belong to. Bellatrix Lestrange, the only female suspected to be a Death Eater. He had met her twice- she was five years older than him and her husband had been one of David's friends until he'd turned sides. She'd been over to their house dozens of times.

"Hands up," she commanded. "Where I can see them."

The wand barely touched the back of his neck, but he could feel it. He slowly raised his hands, still kneeling in the dirt.

"Stand up, Auror."

"I'm not an Auror," he said, glancing into the burning building and feeling horror grow within him. No one was running out. Lily was inside and it was on fire and no one was running out and a bloody Death Eater was holding a wand to him.

People were still on the street, but they had all noticed the scene and were running away.

Several pops were heard, and James knew it wasn't the Aurors yet- a man in a black mask sauntered up to him. "Ah, my sweet, wonderful job. The Dark Lord will be most pleased with this one."

"Isn't he lovely?" the woman drawled.

"He looks just like his father did," said one of the Death Eaters. "And his brother and nephew. Isn't that charming? The Potters were all dark haired with glasses- though you'll be forgotten about as soon as you're dead. Eight in less than a year. A new record, I believe. We'll have to go after the Weasleys to break it. They've got kids too, you know. Some of them are even younger than your sisters were before we killed them."

"That's commendable," James said, feeling rage bubbling up within him. "Going after little children who can't even get on a broom yet. Real brave of you."

"It serves a purpose," said the woman. "Keep your hands up. You two, go make sure there are no survivors. A half a dozen just went in the store across the street. It would be horrible if they were killed while the Auror was watching, don't you think?"

There was laughter as the Death Eaters dispersed, seeming as though they were in no hurry.

One of them paused to pick up the wand that James had dropped when he'd fallen and pocketed it. 

James forced himself to calm down and think. If the Death Eaters got other hostages, he knew he was screwed. He had to act fast. He had to act now.

He had to get the wand in his boot and somehow get out of their range of fire and somehow stop them and somehow figure out how in Merlin's name he was going to do all of this without getting himself or anyone else killed.

That last part would be trickiest.

He kept his hands up and glanced around, then slowly turned around.

Bellatrix didn't stop him. She would regret it later.

"Did you ever figure out how your family died last year?" she asked, and James knew she was smiling behind the mask. "How your father was the first to go, and your sisters were the last? Your brother cried, you know. Wept like his son did."

James didn't let himself listen, because he knew he wouldn't be able to do anything if he did hear what she was saying. It was obviously meant to anger him, and he was already getting angry, but he had to concentrate on doing what was necessary. He looked over her shoulder to see if any Death Eaters were close enough to physically stop him. They weren't.

He dove at her, knocking her wand out of his way and pushing her to the ground. He grabbed her wand from her hand after a struggle and rolled her over on top of him.

She got hit with a Stunning Charm and collapsed, dead weight on top of him. He shoved her off and aimed at the Death Eater closest to him. "_Impedimenta_!"

The Death Eater slowed, and James stumbled to his feet once more, aiming at the next wizard running at him. "_Stupefy_!"

He missed.

The Death Eater didn't.

"_Crucio_!"

James stumbled backwards and lost his balance, losing the wand he'd been using as he fell. He landed in the glass that had broken from the explosion, heat from the fire raging within hitting him. He couldn't feel it with the Cruciatus on him, and his hands shaking, he barely managed to get his second wand out of his boot. He raised it with trembling hands. "_Expelliarmus_!" he croaked, all of his strength gathered to say it, and the Death Eater that was holding the curse on him lost his wand. The majority of the pain went away, leaving him with the aftereffects of the curse. 

"_MORSMORDE_!" a Death Eater roared, and the green Dark Mark shot up into the sky. A loud alarm was going off throughout the town- the Aurors would be there soon, but James knew it was not going to be soon enough.

James aimed at another. "_Relashio_!" he commanded. The sparks hit the Death Eater and his robes caught fire. He whirled about to face the next one, feeling heat rush past him as the Death Eaters threw curses at him, and the fire raged behind him.

James tensed as he saw a man dropping to the woman's side- Lestrange- his wand coming up. 

He knew what was coming and couldn't get his wand up fast enough.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

The light was green and came towards him, and missed him by such a close distance that James knew he would have nightmares about it. 

"Stupefy!" James fired back, and heard footsteps coming towards him from a little to the left. He fired the same curse at that Death Eater.

In a brief moment of clarity, he vowed to work on his aim when he got the chance. Both missed.

The moment over, he dropped and rolled, narrowly avoiding another curse, but getting hit by one from the Death Eater by the woman. His arm lit up with pain that made the Cruciatus feel like pleasure.

"_Stupefy_!" James snapped, his voice strained from the pain. "_Expelliarmus_! _Impedimenta_! _Conjunctiva_! _Stupefy!_"

The Impediment Jinx and the Conjunctive Curse hit the male by the woman, and he roared and covered his eyes. One of the others fell from a Stunning Spell.

"_Crucio_!" another screeched, furiously, and as James finally found some shelter behind an overturned wagon on the side of the street, he was hit by another curse, one he had never felt before that made his arm go numb for a moment. His left arm was useless after that, and he raised his right again and began firing curses once more.

The woman was revived, and aiming her wand as two of the Death Eaters began to levitate the wagon.

"Kill him!" the woman screeched, trying to get around some of the others so she might be able to do that.

One of the Death Eaters hit him with another unfamiliar curse as the wagon was raised, and James felt horrible pain go through him and found that he couldn't breath properly. 

The wagon was nearly gone now, and he had no cover, and couldn't breath properly enough to fight back very well. 

A group of witches and wizards Apparated right in front of him.

"Aurors!" was the cry from the Death Eaters, and they began Disapparating before the Aurors could get the anti-Dissapparation spell up.

Two Aurors were facing him and after they glanced around to check for danger, they hurried over to him. "Get him away from the building before it collapses," commanded a senior Auror. "Two of you put the Stabilizing spells on the building and go in, four more go in with them. The rest of you check the town out and bring the wounded and dead across the street. Go!"

They had already started moving before he'd finished speaking.

James leaned heavily on one of the Aurors as he was helped across the street, the other running ahead to talk to the Medi-Witch who had just Apparated in. "What's your name?" the Auror asked sharply.

"Potter," James said through gritted teeth, trying to breath. It hurt so bad though, and he could barely manage, and all he could think about was Lily, and Merlin, she had to be all right or he was going to-

"James Potter?" the Auror said, apparently recognizing the name. "I thought I'd read you quit."

James didn't bother to tell him he did, but sat down on the edge of the sidewalk. "Lily Evans. She was inside. Find out if she's all right."

The Auror gave him a long look, then frowned at the approaching Medi-Witch. "His name's Potter, James. Trouble breathing, and something's wrong with his left arm."

A loud crash came from inside the Three Broomsticks, and a half a dozen Aurors ran towards it, aiming their wands and shouting stabilizing spells at the building that looked to be collapsing. A man was stumbling out at last, and another Auror helped him out. 

James was sure he was going to be sick- Lily still hadn't come out. 

"You look like shit, James," said Frank Longbottom, jogging over to them. He knelt near James as the Medi-Witch joined them and the first two Aurors ran off. "What curses were you hit with?" the witch asked sharply.

James gasped for air, closing his eyes and trying to concentrate. "Uh... I don't know. I didn't hear. Frank," he said. He had to pause for a moment. "Lily Evans. Inside. Make sure she's... all right." 

"Hrm..." the woman said. "Step back, Longbottom."

She squatted down in front of him and gently prodded his stomach.

James felt as though he would be ill, the pain was so intense. He jerked back away from her, his breathing becoming even more difficult.

The woman pursed her lips. "Do as he said, Longbottom. I'm afraid this is not going to be pleasant, and I don't want people standing around and watching."

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Lily had been released the day after the attack, her injuries minimal due to a very heroic man who had pushed her out of the way of a falling ceiling support. He had been in the hospital for two days after, and Lily had spent quite a bit of time visiting with him in between her visits with James, grateful the stranger had nothing more wrong with him than a large bruise on his head.

James had not been so fortunate. It had taken two hours to fix the No-Breathing Hex that he'd been hit with- fortunately it hadn't been a very good shot, and it had only hit one lung- and then he'd been forced to stay in the hospital for two days after that because of the potions he'd been given and the number of curses he'd been hit with.

Monday, the day he was supposed to be released, he woke up and felt as though his entire arm was on fire, and it had hurt so bad that he'd barely been able to move it enough to twitch his fingers.

The Medi-Wizards had been assembled and studied him intently for the rest of the day, only to return triumphantly on Tuesday with the news that they'd found the curse and the cure. The curse was some horrible bone-rotting hex that had started in one bone in his arm and had already spread to his hand and was working its way up to his shoulder.

He was forced to drink even more wretched potions which put him to sleep for another two days- until Thursday- and then woke to the news that the potion hadn't worked, proved by the utterly terrible pain in his arm and shoulder, and he was going to have to take a second much stronger dosage.

This time he slept for four days. Monday, over a week after he'd arrived at the hospital, he was given a week's worth of potions and allowed to go home.

No one specified which home, and so he Flooed to Hogwarts, jarring his arm as he stepped out of the fireplace and flinching because it hurt- badly. I should have Apparated, he thought, pulling the bag Sirius had brought him over his good shoulder and making his way down the long hallways towards his room. 

Never mind that Apparation was out of the question with the mix of potions he was on.

He didn't run into anyone, and was very disappointed to find that Lily wasn't in her classroom.

He entered his and went up to his room, dropping his bag on the floor. He hesitated for a moment, and then kicked his shoes off and laid down on the bed, his arm throbbing.

He closed his eyes and tried to ignore it.

Over a week in the hospital had given him more than enough time to grow sick of the radio, tired of reading, frustrated with checking assignments and such that someone had sent from the school. He'd spent a lot of time thinking about Lily and his job and his life and he'd spent a lot of time wondering what he would do when the end of the year came- in less than two months.

And that wasn't true, he realized as he lay there, working the fingers on his injured arm. After the disaster that had been the weekend before, he'd come to several conclusions.

The first had hit him when the Three Broomsticks had exploded with Lily inside.

He loved her even more than he'd thought- more than he'd ever loved anyone before.

It was terrifying, and even more so when she'd come to visit him after she'd been released from the hospital. She'd been crying and had held his hand, and had kissed him and said, quite clearly, "I love you, James..." and had left before he could stammer out a reply. He'd cursed the potions that dulled his wits so much that he couldn't even repeat the sentiment to her, though cursing them hadn't done anything but make him grumpier the next time he'd had to take them.

That had been the only time they'd seen each other when they were both conscious and awake in the week and a half since the attack. The other times she'd tried to see him, he had been sleeping. She'd left a note telling him that she'd been by, but he had decided that it would be a bit of a cheat if he left her a note instead of telling it to her face.

Silly thing to be worrying about, he mused, half-asleep. 

During that stay in the hospital, he'd also come to the conclusion that he was going to go back to the Ministry after the year at Hogwarts was over.

How would Lily react to that? he wondered. James could still remember the way his family had reacted when he'd told them what he wanted to do. His father had not argued with him- how could he? James was following in his footsteps.

His mother had cried when she thought he couldn't hear her.

His brother and sister-in-law had exchanged worried looks and David had quietly pulled him aside and reminded him of all of their father's Auror friends who had died over the past twenty years alone- how long would it be before he, James, was the one dying?

His sisters had been too young to really understand, and he had been grateful for that. He'd held them and played with them, and known that his entire family hated the idea of him being an Auror- not because it was anything bad, but because it was dangerous.

He wondered if Lily would be able to handle it. It wasn't easy being an Auror's wife, nor his family. James remembered a lot of nights staying up late and waiting for his father to come home. His mother would have remembered even more.

He wondered what he would do if Lily decided she didn't want the stress of having him in her life any longer.

He fell asleep still thinking about it.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The following morning, Lily came to see him two hours before classes were supposed to start.

He groaned as the light came on, and tried to see who it was. When he recognized her and confirmed that she didn't look upset, he closed his eyes again. "What's going on?"

"I haven't seen you for a week," Lily answered, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

He yawned. "I'm fine. A little tired. Comes with being woken up at..." He opened his eyes to peak at the clock, then groaned. "Six o'clock in the bloody morning... Don't care how much I love you, this morning crap has to stop."

She laughed and laid down by his side.

He rolled over to face her and couldn't stop himself from leaning forward enough to kiss her, morning breath or not.

She returned the kiss eagerly enough, her fingers skimming over his face as he shifted to move his good arm to pull her closer.

"I don't have enough time for this," she said reluctantly when their mouths parted. "I only came in here so I could see you for a little before classes."

"You woke me up an hour before I had to get up," he said. "Do you think I'll let you go any time soon?"

He kissed her again before she could answer. 

That was followed by another kiss, and then another and another.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

Despite the fact that he and Lily had been so caught up in each other that they'd each been late to their early morning classes, the classes seemed to take forever. (And hadn't that been embarrassing- the two of them coming down from his bedroom while his room was filled with students. They'd both cleaned up, but surely it was obvious what they'd been up to.) The day dragged on and he suffered through it with a raging headache. 

Fortunately, his students were unusually quiet, relieved that he was back and they would no longer be shuffled back and forth between teachers of varying skill.

And apparently they were afraid of upsetting him after hearing exaggerated tales of what he'd done the week before.

The seventh years he had in the afternoon politely asked if he would tell them what had actually happened.

He told them to read the Daily Prophet and then had to eat his words as they started talking about curses and he ended up using examples from that particular fight.

He had two more classes after that and his arm was throbbing at the end of them. He took one of the less potent pain medications- one that wouldn't put him to sleep- and finished.

Once the last class was gone and he was alone, he dropped in the chair behind his desk and closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, the room was dark except for a fire in the fireplace and there was a blanket on top of him and a note on lavender paper on his desk, next to a tray of soup and sandwiches and a pot of tea that was piping hot and fresh.

He opened the note before touching any of the food, too paranoid after a week in the hospital to risk falling victim to anything else.

_James,_

_You looked pretty tired, so I didn't want to disturb you. Pomfrey had the house-elves bring a tray up, and she expects you to eat all of it- or else. I'll be up with Sybil for a while, but I'll come by and check on you before I go to bed. If you're still awake, I'll tuck you in._

_Love, Lily_

Love, Lily, he read again, smiling a bit. He'd never really realized how nice it was to have someone sign their name that way, and mean it that way. His parents and sisters had signed it that way, of course, and his brother on occasion, but to have it come from Lily...

He ate the sandwich and the soup and drank the tea and flipped open his notebook to work on the lesson plan for the next week.

He'd finished through Friday when Lily came in. "Why Professor," she said, as though surprised. "You're awake."

He abandoned the lesson plan in the middle of a word, capping the ink bottle and putting the quill away. "It does happen once in a while. Hi."

She smiled. "Hi. I came over to tuck you in."

He raised an eyebrow. "You can do whatever you want."

"Oh, good," she said. "Because I've been dying to kiss you all day."

He stood up and walked around the desk then puckered his lips like a child. "Kiss away," he said in between puckers.

She laughed and did so.

A while later they were stretched out on the couch in his sitting room, limbs entangled and clothing very mussed, though still on.

"Tell me a secret about you," Lily said, sitting up and getting comfortable facing him. "Something most people don't know."

He thought about his secrets for a moment, then nodded slightly. "All right. When I was fifteen, I became an Animagus."

Lily looked startled. "An Animagus- but that's... You aren't registered, you can't be one."

He smiled wryly. "Want to bet?"

She gave him a long look. "No... But how? Why on Earth would you want to be one? It's horribly dangerous."

He smiled at her. "We found out about Remus at the end of first year. At the end of third year we had finished researching ways to try and cure him, and Sirius had the idea to join him... Animagi aren't affected by a werewolf's bite... It was perfect. It took us until the middle of fifth year to do it though. We couldn't register because it was illegal at that age, you know?"

"That's incredible," Lily breathed. "What are you? Are all of you Animagus? What are the others?"

"Peter's a rat," James answered. "Chubby little thing, but good for blending in." He smiled, remembering. "And for being the watch. Unless the cats were out, and then he wouldn't leave our sides. Sirius is a huge black dog... Do you remember how at the end of seventh year, the fifth years were being stalked by the Grim?" 

Lily nodded, her eyes wide with amusement. James continued. "Well, Sirius was sick of working on the NEWTs and took a break, and found a bunch of Slytherins... It was beautiful."

Lily laughed. "And what are you, Potter?"

"I'm a stag," he answered. "With antlers."

She laughed, delighted. "That's wonderful!" She sat up, shifting and getting comfortable, facing him now. "Tell me something else."

He smirked. "I know of seven passageways out of the castle- and Filch only knows two of them."

She chuckled. "Still hiding things from him, hm?"

"Tell me something about you," he said.

She sighed. "I don't think I've got any good secrets..." Then she winced, remembering. "Oh yes... I had a crush on Professor McKinley when he was teaching Defense."

"McKinley?" James repeated, staring at her. "McKinley, the 40 year old who tried to kill half of us?"

"I didn't know he was evil," Lily complained, not looking offended. "Besides- I didn't think he looked a day over 39 and a half."

James chuckled. "That's the worst thing you can confess to?"

"I've always been good," Lily sighed. "I never did anything bad... All right, so that's not true. In sixth year, Sybil and I snuck out of the castle, flew to a Muggle pub and got wasted while some of the other girls covered for us. That was probably the worst thing we ever did."

"You and Sybil did that?" James asked, torn between gaping and laughing. "I never pictured her the type."

Lily shrugged. "Well, there's a lot of things you don't know about her."

"Such as?"

Lily looked away, growing serious. "Well. For one thing, she's been having a lot of visions lately. She thinks that if you and I get seriously involved with each other, something terrible will happen."

James frowned. "Is that why she doesn't like me?"

"For the most part," Lily admitted. They looked at each other for a moment. "Anything else?"

He thought for a moment, then sat back with a sigh. "Two things. The first. I think I'm in love with you."

She blinked. "Oh. You're not sure? You were this morning. What changed?"

He shrugged, feeling a little sheepish. "Okay, so I know I am, but it sounded better to say it that way. Sorry."

She was trying not to smile, her eyes soft and shining. "I'll forgive you this time."

"You have a generous and forgiving soul," he assured her. 

She laughed. "What's the second?"

He grew serious again and sat up. "At the end of the year, I'm going back to the Aurors."

She failed to look surprised. 

He shifted. "Um. I thought you should know."

She nodded slightly, the smile gone from her face, replaced by understanding and worry. "I figured that out a long time ago, James. You wouldn't be happy if you didn't."

"It took me this long to figure it out myself," he grumbled.

"Poor baby," she said.

He grinned. "Yeah, I am... Kiss me and make it better?"

Once more, my apologies for the delay.

This story is giving me major issues... I really want to finish it, but I have little motivation to do so. I'm doing the best I can to finish it, but don't be surprised by long delays such as the last one. (Sorry!)

As i said before the chapter, I don't plan on changing this to be an OotP story. I started it a long time before OotP and it wouldn't work as well if it were based on OotP facts. If you don't like it, no one's making you read it. Names of future characters might be changed, or little details might be added, but I'm not going to make Sirius's family evil, or make Lily and James into Love/Haters, or James into such a prat. I changed Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange's names from the last chapter and this chapter, but that's all I plan on doing. 

Thanks to aissy55, Squeak4ever, vega black, x-woman1, Raesaline, Mondo, lilypad-james, mooncancer, and zwizwi for reviewing! I really appreciate it.

**time-stitch**- No, James didn't rush in and save the day.... Hope that wasn't disappointing... I did debate doing that for a while, then decided it was, as you put it, cliche, and also unrealistic. And though you hadn't read the fifth book at the time of your review, it doesn't matter if you did or didn't, at least wiith this story, because nothing's getting changed for it. And I'm glad you like Sirius. :o)  
**Aileron** (or should I say Aileron1?) No problem with the delay- I've been guilty of that quite a bit lately. Thank you for your review, it was really good.... Glad to hear you think everything fit together, and James was in character. Also glad you think Lily works well as she is. *snicker* And now that summer is almost over, I doubt I'll move any faster with writing... lol. Sorry. :o)  
**Lavender**: End of school resolution to be a better reviewer? That's one I haven't heard before... Nonetheless, it's a good goal and I hope it works for you. :o) lol. I'm sure you're not emotionally unstable- well, maybe you are, but that's not such a bad thing, is it? And very glad it almost makes you cry. :o)  
**Destiny's Phoenix**: lol. Well, I'm glad this story keeps popping up and you keep readinig it... Certainly makes me happy! Hope you continue to see it pop up. Er... Wasn't exactly a Lily gets hurt and might die scenario, but hope you liked it anyway? :o) Thank you for the review, I really appreciate the time and thought you put into it. :o)  
**everblue3**: Hope you enjoyed France! Also hope you're not going to drop out of the HP world... it would not make me happy... And you don't want to make me and your dozens of thousands of other fans unhappy, do you? Huh? *crosses fingers*. Geez... It's been so long that I don't remember most of what we were talking about...  
The Lily/Sybil/James stuff will be addressed more and more as the story passes... I've been looking over the outlinie for it and it will certainly be covered. Glad you like my "subtle mentioning".  
lol... It's not so much that Nipper (my dog) is stupid or anything, it's the breed of dog he is- he has a tough time with bladder control. When he gets excited, well, he just does what he does. And we're casual dog people anyway- Nipper has full access to the house (except the garage), and he sleeps at my feet. Or sometimes my stomach. Or sometimes on my head. Whatever. It's not as bad as i make it out to be... :o)  
Yes, I understand *very* well about not wanting to have to Write it... Sort of what i'm going through here. I do hope to see more of your story soon.  
I'm afraid this isn't one of my best chapters, but considering the trouble i've had with it, i'd say this is as good as it's going to get. A bit more up front romance, unfortunately... Don't worry, some good old fashioned graveyard angst coming up after the next fluffy bit (I hate fluff!)... If i ever get around to it!  
lol... And I also like and appreciate your view on Perfect!Lily being acceptable in this story. She'll be getting a little less perfect as time goes along, with something similar tot what you suggested happening.  
*sigh* I like my Arabella... I'm a bit disappointed (but unsurprised) with OotP's Arabella- just because she wasn't quite the Arabella I love from this story. ;o) But I did like her once I got past that. :o)  
lol... I do hope to read more of your story soon...   
**Got Harry:** As always, thank you for the review... And for all of the help with it. :o) And I'm glad you like Rosmerta's story, even if it is sad...  
Lamina Court: Well, I hope you're enjoying the Yahoo group... lol. :o) Lavender and I are really happy you joined. :o) Canadians celebrate the Queen Mum's birthday? Um... okay... lol. But we celebrate some pretty stupid things too, I suppose, so there you go... lol  
Did you decide to write the Remus fic or not?   
Thanks for the help with my questions... lol. i'm very sorry... Poor Remus is going to take a beating in the rest of this story... I always feel so bad for him.... Which is why I try to make life good for him when I write my MWPP-in-hogwarts fics... :o)  
lol... When you reviewed, there were two days to OotP left... Wow... Sorry for the delay?  
**Amy**: Sorry for the update delay... I iddn't mean to! Once more, your ideas on the end of the last chapter were slightly off, but I hope you enjoyed anyway. And the Auror question was officially answered in this chapter... Lily will be getting less perfect as the story goes on (I hope!) . Also hope that you continue to enjoyh reading thtis. :o)


	12. Chapter Eleven

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
CHARACTERS: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
RATING: PG-13  
SPOILERS: Up to GoF (Book 4). This is **PRE-OOTP!!!** All the characters are different, but especially Sybil. If you don't like it, don't read, and don't bother reviewing to tell me that it's not up to OotP standards, because I KNOW THAT ALREADY!!  
SUMMARY: A big step forward for Lily and James.   
DISCLAIMER: The Harry Potter guys aren't mine, in case you hadn't picked up on it. Also, I was inspired by a scene in Nora Roberts's 'Montana Sky', so I supposed I'd best hand over a bit of credit to her as well. (Great book by the way- one of her best. Read it!)  
**Dedication**: To all of my e-friends whom I've been neglecting lately. To all of my readers and reviewers, who've had three months of silence and no explanation. See the bottom for it.

_Chapter Eleven_

"I can't believe the year's almost over," Lily murmured, lying on a blanket next to James.

There were quite a few students out, so they were very careful and did nothing more than hold hands, but it was enough to earn them a few curious looks from the more perspective- and nosy- students.

James shrugged. "I'm going to miss it when I'm back with the guys."

She shivered and rolled on her side to face him. He studied her face, marveling at how much he loved her. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. She smiled at him, though the worry did not quite fade.

He understood. Had she been the one who was going back to the Aurors, he would have been terrified. It was almost enough to make him change his mind, but she wouldn't let him. He'd mentioned it to her after news came in that the Bones family had been attacked. She had quietly, but firmly insisted that he do what was right for him- she loved him, and she would deal with the rest.

She'd told him quite plainly that, especially after the attack that had left him in St. Mundgo's for a week, she would have been perfectly happy with him as a teacher for the rest of his years. But she didn't want him to be unhappy.

They had talked for a long time about it, about the dangers to him- and to those he cared about. She wasn't worried about dangers to herself, though the thought was terrifying to him.

James had talked to Moody shortly after his release from the hospital, after he'd told Lily. From there he had gone to Dumbledore and talked to him.

Neither Dumbledore nor Moody had been surprised by his decisions, though Dumbledore had expressed his disappointment. Then he'd asked if Sirius was interested in teaching, and James had walked out of the office in near hysterics at the thought of Sirius Black teaching students anything.

Lily shifted, drawing him back to the present- to her.

And he decided he would ask her. "Do you want to get married?"

Her lips curled up. "Right now? To you?"

"To me, yes, but not right now. In a few months, or a year, or tomorrow, or whenever."

"We've only been dating for six months," she said, not sounding completely offended by the idea, but not entirely gung-ho about it either. 

"Is there a certain number of months we have to go out before we get married?" he asked. 

She looked away for a moment, at a group of students who were chasing each other around and being quite loud. "Most people would say that's an awfully big step. We haven't even slept together." 

He grinned a little. "That could change, of course, if that's what's holding you up." He quickly followed it up before she could give him more than an irritated look. "We don't have to if you don't want to," he said. "I just thought... Well, I love you. And I want to spend my life with you. It seems that it would make sense that marriage would come after that." He shrugged a little.

She didn't say anything for a moment, closing her eyes, and he studied her face, wondering what she was thinking.

Then she opened her eyes and looked at him. "All right," she said.

He blinked. "All right?"

"But I want a ring."

He smiled. "I'll get you one."

"And I want a formal proposal," she said.

"I think I can handle that too," James said. "Candlelit dinner? Picnic by the lake?"

"How about you just ask me once you get the ring?" she suggested, moving over to stand in front of him. He sat up slipped his arms around her waist, enjoying the way she fit against him. 

He smiled down at her. "That works too."

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

James officially proposed the day after the students went home, two days before they left Hogwarts. Lily, of course, said yes, and went to breakfast with the ancient Potter engagement ring on her finger.

He didn't let her say anything, curious to see who would notice first, and how long it would take.

It was no surprise to him to find that Sybil saw it first.

Her reaction, however, was not what he was expecting. Her face paled and she sucked in her breath before turning to Lily with wide eyes. "What is that?" she demanded, her voice unsteady enough to attract nearly everyone's attention.

Lily opened her mouth to answer, but Taura was quicker. "Is that an engagement ring?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

Lily smiled a little, and James had to admit, he felt a bit of a smirk on his own face. "Yes."

Taura jumped out of her chair and rushed over to them, gathering them in a hug. "Congratulations!" she said, kissing Lily's cheek and then James's. "Why didn't you say anything? We ought to be celebrating, not packing up the bloody school!"

McGonagall was beaming as well, and it seemed that at once, everyone had the urge to tell them congratulations as well, and ask questions and offer advice. 

No, they hadn't set the date yet-

It would be a small wedding, just close friends-

They weren't going to wait long, no-

They hadn't even talked about the honeymoon, but yes, Egypt was lovely, and New York was supposed to be brilliant-

And they chatted on and on, until Lily whispered to him that she was going to find Sybil.

James glanced around and realized that the Divination Professor was not in the group of people there.

As Lily's best friend...

James felt a bit of guilt creep through him. He probably should have let her tell Sybil before breakfast, but it had been nice to have her lying next to him when he'd woken up, and he hadn't wanted her to go. She'd fallen asleep with him at about three in the morning, as they'd lain awake, talking about everything.

Yes, he definitely should have let her go, and he should have told Sirius right away as well.

Feeling a bit guilty, and a bit uneasy that Sybil had disappeared, he kissed Lily's cheek and she slipped out of the room.

Leaving him to deal with an extremely pleased staff who wanted nothing more than to know all the details of the wedding they hadn't even set a date for.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

June ended and the staff parted ways for the summer. 

Most of the older teachers went to their homes around the Kingdom, but some went on vacation.

Lily got a post card from Minerva McGonagall and Arabella Figg within a week of the end of school- they were visiting Arabella's daughters in Egypt, and then were off to Japan for a conference they would be attending on behalf of Hogwarts.

Lily had planned on renting an apartment for the summer, seeing as she didn't own a home and had no use for one, what with living at Hogwarts for most of the year, but James convinced her to move into the Potter Mansion.

It was not a situation where they were living together in the normal sense- Instead, he stayed in one half of the house, she in the other, and they shared the kitchen.

It was quite convenient for both of them, as James had a very unusual schedule now that he was back with the Aurors, and this way he and Lily could see each other quite often.

The looks they got from people when it came out that they were living together were quite rude, and on more than one occasion, Lily had forcibly stopped James from punching a few people who were a bit old fashioned and didn't mind saying so. Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Taura found it quite amusing that they had separate bedrooms, and did not hesitate to say so.

Sybil never said a word about it- she and Lily hadn't spoken since the day she'd found out about Lily and James's engagement.

Lily cried when she told James about it, but after that, had not brought it up.

He hadn't either, though he looked at her with concern in his eyes, and she knew he was thinking of that.

But Sybil had told her that their friendship was through, and said things that were unforgivable.

July began, and Lily still hadn't spoken with her, and she started to realize it would probably be that way for the rest of summer. Sybil was the one who needed to make the first move, Lily had decided. She was tired of being the one who made nice- now Sybil would do it.

In the middle of July, Lily was woken out of a sound sleep by a noise from the middle of the house.

She grabbed her wand and drew on her dressing gown and slippers and went to investigate.

The noise was coming from the kitchen, and so she was unsurprised to find James in there.

The expression on his face, however, was a bit of a shock. 

He looked about two seconds away from weeping, and was staring at the door that lead into the dining room with an almost haunted look on his face.

She glanced at the calendar on her way into the kitchen and noted that there were two weeks until the anniversary of his family's deaths. She entered the kitchen and sat down beside him, slipping her arms around him. He slipped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. "I couldn't sleep," he said.

She sat back, still sitting close to him. He kept his arms around her waist. She brought her hands up to touch his face, pushing his hair back. "Nightmares? Or memories?"

A bitter smile. "Aren't they the same?"

She didn't smile. "Sometimes. Sometimes they're good dreams, too."

"I wonder sometimes," was all he said for a moment. Then he sighed. "I want to take you over to... I mean, on the first, it's the anniversary of... Will you come with me?"

"Of course," she said. "Will Sirius come?"

James sighed. "I don't know. He had a hard time when his parents died- he never goes back. I don't know if he'll go or not. I won't ask him."

She wanted to argue, but didn't. She kissed him briefly. "I love you."

He kissed her. "I love you too. Sleep with me tonight?" 

"Do we have to sleep?" she teased, not meaning it. They had already decided that they would wait.

He kissed her again. "What else do you do in a bed?"

Holding hands, they went up to his room.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The first day of August was bright and sunny, exactly how it should _not_ have been.

James woke up with a sick feeling in his heart, and something warm at his side.

The something warm was, of course, Lily, and she was already awake, staring off into space.

"Morning," he said.

She blinked and looked over at him. "Hi. Good morning."

"You're usually out of bed by now," he said.

She shifted, rolling on her side. "I know. I wanted to be here when you woke up. So I stayed in bed."

"That was nice of you," he said.

"I'm nice, what can I say?"

He yawned and sat up. "You can say, 'go clean your teeth, you hot thing, Potter, and then we'll snog away the morning.'"

"I couldn't say it with a straight face," she said.

He rolled his eyes. "And you probably think you're funny."

Despite his best efforts, he couldn't keep a light mood for much longer. Even while cleaning his teeth, he started to feel nervous and uncomfortable.

He dressed with a little more care than normal, uncertain why he did such a thing- it wasn't as though his parents could see him, after all.

But he wore a tie anyway.

The house elves were rather quiet that morning, and though they greeted him, it sounded a little forced.

Lily had dressed in a sundress, nicer than normal as well. They both picked at their breakfast and didn't talk much.

The cemetery did not open until eleven o'clock, which left him almost two hours. 

After breakfast, he invited her into the study. 

"I have to speak to the solicitor about the family accounts," he explained. "I learned a lot from my father, but not enough to manage everything on my own. Edward is an old family friend who takes care of it."

He threw Floo Powder into the fire. "Rafferty and Rafferty, London Offices!"

A secretary's head appeared a moment later. "Mr. Potter," she said with a very pleasant smile. "How can I help you today?"

"Is Edward in?" James asked.

"I'll get him for you right now," the woman said, and disappeared.

When Edward Rafferty's head popped into the fireplace, James made the introductions and then asked Edward to summarize the accounts for Lily's' benefit.

She'd always known he had a lot of money- but this was a lot more than she had ever thought.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

James was nervous. He talked a lot when he was nervous.

"Dad used to do all the investing," he said. "David and I had trust funds that would have supported us for the rest of our lives before we had turned ten, but Dad did really good for a few years, and that doubled. Just after I started at the school, some of his investments really started paying off. I don't have nearly as good a hand with money as he did, so I took half of it and put it in the bank, a quarter of it in real estate, which will hopefully pay off eventually, and then the other quarter is being run through the markets. I don't know why I'm talking about this either. I barely understand most of it." He glanced over at her and found her giving him an understanding smile. He sighed and looked ahead. "It's right up there," he said, pointing to the plot.

They continued walking, still holding hands.

About a dozen meters from the plot, he looked away from the large marker, towards the headstones of his family, preparing for the grief he knew he would feel.

It was there- but so was disbelief. 

The headstones were covered with something dark, and at the beginning of the long row of headstones, two large rocks had been added, where everyone was sure to see them.

Neither James nor Lily said anything as they went over to them to read the words written in blood across them.

_James Potter- last of the Potters, Mudblood lover, Dead Auror_

And next to it:

_Wife- Dead Mudblood._

And then, where the dates would have been: _Soon_.

"Are you going to report this?" Lily asked, and James looked over at her, taking in the way her fists were clenched, and the fury in her eyes. 

He couldn't bring himself to reply. The anger was in him, but disbelief and hurt as well. The idea of desecrating gravesites was so wrong that he wanted to be ill- especially because this was his family, and someone had gone and done this.

Lily sighed. "James," she said, slipping her arms around his waist for a brief hug before she drew back, drawing her wand out. "I'm sorry... Let me get this cleaned up, all right? You don't need to be doing this."

He shook his head slightly. and drew his wand, pointing at the stone that was meant for her. "_Scourgify_."

The spell set to work immediately, but James saw that it would do no good. "_Finite Incantantum_," he said, and then repeated it, hoping to end the permanent charm on the rock. 

Lily had moved to the end of the row, where his aunt and grandparents had been buried.

He looked down at the two stones in front of him for a long moment, and then looked over at Lily.

She wasn't looking at the headstones anymore. She was frowning and walking a little further back, towards the thick, over-grown bushes that divided this plot from the next.

He suddenly felt uneasy and started towards her, the bloody headstones forgotten.

He sped up as she stumbled backwards, her hand flying up to her mouth even as she whirled around to face him, her face pale and her eyes wide with horror. "There's someone- he's dead! Back there!"

He rushed over and pushed apart the bushes where she pointed, and cursed softly.

There was a body back there, bloody and beaten.

James turned around, going over to Lily and leading her away from the body and the blood. "Come on," he murmured, casting another look back to where the body was- now that he had seen it, it stood out clearly. "We'll go get some help, and then find you a place to sit down."

She managed to nod a little, but said nothing.

He glanced back towards the body and bloodied headstones, and tried to remember the first time he's seen a dead body - it hadn't been that long ago, had it?

Still, it felt like centuries.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

The rest of the day was hell- it reminded James very much of the way it had been a year before, after his parents had died, except without so much emotional attachments.

After her initial shock, Lily calmed down quite a bit, though often reached for his hand.

The body was identified in the early afternoon as Edward Bones.

Aurors were sent to the Bones' house immediately afterwards- it was too late. His wife and their son were found dead.

The remaining family members were told to go into hiding. It would be too late for many more of them.

Sirius showed up at the cemetery shortly after that. He found them sitting outside the offices, waiting to hear they were free to go.

"What's going on?" he asked when he saw them. "They wouldn't let me back there."

"Back where?" James asked, frowning. 

"By the graves," Sirius said, his hands deep in his pockets. 

James frowned. "You're not here with the Aurors?"

Sirius frowned. "I took the day off," he said in a don't-ask-questions tone of voice. "What's going on?"

James explained quickly, glancing at Lily when he mentioned she'd found the body.

Sirius understood and sighed, meeting his eyes, silently asking how she was. James nodded slightly. "It's okay," he said.

"And you?" Sirius asked.

"About as well as expected," James answered. "Have a seat. We'll be here a while."

Sirius took a seat on Lily's other side. "Hey," he said.

She gave him a short smile that didn't meet her eyes. "Hi."

James took her hand.

They sat and waited.

*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*..:..*

I'm not going to bother with individual responses- I had them typed up, but it's been months, and no one remembers what they wrote back in August anyway. Thanks to all of you though. :o)

The update was delayed by three months of a bunch of people dying. My best friend's dad passed away at the end of September, out of the blue. At the end of October, they diagnosed my already terminal grandma with cancer, and she got very bad very fast- she died Thanksgiving week. Then came finals and then came Christmas break, which meant I doubled my work hours. An old family friend died right at Christmas time, and then my best friend's uncle died. School started again and I've only just been getting into the HP swing of things again. So I've got a good excuse, in addition to my struggles with this story even before. Right? Anyway.

No clue when the next update shall come.

Thoughts to Ponder:  
1.) Lily and James began officially dating in February and James proposed in June. The wedding will take place in the early fall, about a year after James and Lily met again. A lot of you will think this is fast, and I imagine I would too, if it were a modern day romance. However, when I thought about the situation, I determined that it would work for them. Living in such confined quarters for that long, they got to know each other very quickly. I think of the Wizarding World as much smaller than the Muggle World, so I think that people would act a little quicker to snatch up the person that they love simply because there weren't many other options. I've tried to show Lily and James's relationship as being a very good one right from the start, and I think that would contribute speed to the situation as well. What are your thoughts on their relationship and how fast it is going?  
2.) Any opinions on how it's been going with Sybil? Is it even remotely realistic? Her part is very difficult for me to write because it's such a dramatic change for her. She'll be in the next chapter (probably) and after that will pop up here and there, though not from her own POV. Lily will be thinking about her quite a bit, I'm sure.  
3.) Please let me know what you honestly think of this, even if you don't really like it. I won't get offended or hurt feelings if you don't like it. I want to finish this, but if it's not entertaining you anymore, I'd rather know that now. Thanks!

Coming in the Next Chapter (if it ever gets finished): A wedding, a break-up, a baby, and a painful fight (maybe). Guesses on who is involved where? No bonus points- it ought to be easy to figure out.


	13. Chapter Twelve

**...Winding Path...**

By Zetta  
CHARACTERS: James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sybil Trelawney, Taura Sinastra, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and more!  
RATING: PG-13  
SPOILERS: Up to GoF (Book 4). This is **PRE-OOTP!!!** All the characters are different, but especially Sybil (who is still spelled Sybill in the books but not in this story because I'm kinda stupid.) If you don't like it, don't read, and don't bother reviewing to tell me that it's not up to OotP standards, because I KNOW THAT ALREADY!!  
SUMMARY: A wedding, a break-up, a baby, and a painful fight.  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Getting closer and closer to the end... And it's getting harder to write.... I'm trying really hard to finish it though, so wish me luck!

slight edit 11-25. The dividers didn't show up for some reason.

_Chapter Twelve_

James remembered the day that David had married. He remembered the big grin that David had flashed him, and the way he'd smiled at his wife. His parents had smiled at each other and held hands. His sister had stood next to him and watched the preparations for the wedding, getting ready to take their places- James as Best Man and his sister as the Flower Girl.

His own wedding day would be different.

They had a civil ceremony, held in a small office building with Sirius and Taura as their witnesses, and Remus and Peter along for the entertainment and support.

Lily didn't wear a wedding dress, though she did wear a white sundress. Taura had brought flowers for them- a small bouquet for Lily and a smaller one for herself and boutonnière for James and Sirius.

The ceremony took half an hour including the time it took to sign the papers for the Wizard and Muggle worlds, and then the newly married couple took their wedding party out for a small reception, where they were joined by much of the staff of the school, some of the Aurors and their wives and girlfriends, and Lily's sister and brother-in-law.

Outside of the little hall, the October wind blew and blustered, and James again compared it to his brother's wedding, which had been on a perfect spring day.

James looked over at his new bride and let himself forget what he had been thinking about. She was smiling at him, clearly very happy, a wedding ring- no, _his_ wedding ring on her finger. That was what mattered. She was what mattered.

Around them, their friends celebrated happily.

Many drank too much, enjoying the celebration. These days, celebrations were rare, and meant to be enjoyed.

Others, like Moody and the Prewitts, did not drink at all, looking around as though Death Eaters would jump out of the closet at any time.

Sirius was seated at James's side, flirting with one of Lily's friends, a girl she'd roomed with when they were at Hogwarts, and Remus was sitting with Taura. They looked a little tense, James noted, but didn't focus on it too long because Lily was whispering something in his ear.

He glanced at the clock and quite agreed- it was time for them to get out of there.

He glanced around the room for a moment and had to grin.

There wasn't a person in the room who didn't know what they were going to go do, and he caught the smirk Sirius sent him when he looked at his watch.

"Have fun," Sirius murmured when James turned to say good night. His best friend looked amused still. "If I ever get married, to hell with this after party stuff," Sirius said. "We'll hit the sack and face the world after. If we survive."

James laughed. "Well, this is just in case we don't, you know?"

"You aren't gonna get that lucky," Sirius said. "But if you do, I'll take _real_ good care of your wife after."

"Jerk," James muttered, clapping him on the back as he stood.

Sirius grinned. "You wouldn't have me any other way."

They had been back from their honeymoon to a little village in Scotland for a week when Taura up to Lily's classroom in tears, just catching her before she headed down to use the Floo to go home for the day.

"What happened?" Lily asked, hurrying over to her. "Are you all right?"

Taura shook her head and hugged her, the tears still falling. "Remus broke up with me!" she cried. "He-he said that it wasn't working between us. He wanted to be free again."

Lily was shocked. She hadn't seen it coming any more than Taura had. "Oh, honey," she murmured, leading her over to sit on the couch. "It'll be all right..."

"I really liked him though," Taura said. "Even with his health being the way it is."

Lily didn't say anything to that. Privately, she had questioned how comfortable Taura really had been with Remus's monthly "sickness", but she hadn't thought it bad enough that they would break up.

Remus and Taura had been seeing each other for longer than she and James had- and she and James were married, Lily realized, shaking her head slightly at the strangeness of the world.

"I should have seen it," Taura cried. "He's been gone so much lately. And he never talks about where he goes. He probably has another girlfriend."

Lily didn't believe that for a second, but knew better than to argue with Taura. "Why don't you come home with me and James tonight?" she offered quietly. "We can talk about it and you can get a change of scenery."

Taura nodded slightly, here eyes red from crying, and Lily took her home.

Remus wasn't in his apartment, James discovered a while later, and went over to talk to Sirius while waiting for him to show up again.

"He broke up with her?" Sirius said, sitting on the couch and frowning. "Why?"

"Something about how it wasn't working between them," James answered with a sigh.

"I know he wasn't happy with how she handled the full moon thing, but he was talking just last week about how things were going with them. Except for the fight before the wedding."

"The fight?" James wondered.

"Something about meeting her parents, I think," answered Sirius. "She wanted him to, he didn't."

"Maybe he's still all messed up from when his parents were killed," James said.

"Or maybe he found a new girlfriend and didn't tell us," Sirius said, not looking convinced. "My question is, where is he tonight? He said he was working a day job now, and he hasn't said anything about having other plans."

"Does he tell you everything?" James asked, teasing a little.

Sirius wasn't kidding. "He used to."

Their eyes met for a moment. "It's not the same as when we were in school," said James.

"I know that better than you, Prongs," Sirius said, a little sadly. "Of all of us, you've changed the most. Good changes mostly, but it makes it awful difficult for your three best mates to visit you at all hours of the night when you've got a wife in bed next to you."

James sighed. "You know damn well you can come over any time, Padfoot. Lily knows you're my brother, and she thinks of you as hers too. I admit, I might be a bit grumpier if you get me out of bed at two in the morning, but you're always welcome to. Things haven't changed so much that you now need an invitation."

Sirius snorted. "You'll regret that offer when I come over next week at three in the morning."

James sighed. "You're probably right. Anyway- I'm going to go look for Remus again. Hopefully he'll be there and I can stay away from home for a while. Taura's in the middle of throwing an 'I loathe men' party."

Sirius nodded slightly. "Which reminds me- has Lily heard from Sybil yet?"

James scowled. "Not since the wedding invitation. Did I tell you about it?" Sirius shook his head. "Lily invited her to the ceremony. Sybil sent back a reply saying that she wouldn't come and support this "Marriage of Death", and said that until Lily ended her relationship with me, she would not speak to her again, and on and on about what she saw in her dreams."

"Crackpot bitch," Sirius growled. "I ought to go down to the school and hex her."

James nodded grimly. "Quite. Lily was more upset over that than I've ever seen her. If I ever run into her again..."

Sirius laughed. "Look out Sybil."

"Exactly."

James still hadn't seen Remus over two months later, as fall changed to winter. He had exchanged a few brief letters with his friend, and found out that Remus had found a new job in Romania- Remus didn't say what the job was, but he would not be back until the spring, with the exception of Christmas and a few days surrounding it.

The Potters held a Christmas party for their friends, inviting them to stay the night on Christmas Eve and open presents on Christmas morning.

Lily had been in a good mood for the week before Christmas, and James finally found out why on Christmas morning, after they'd opened all the gifts.

Lily leaned over. "Guess what," she said, her eyes twinkling.

"What?"

"You're going to be a daddy."

Everyone was happy for them when they found out, especially Sirius, who said that he had no plans to have his own kids, and so he would have to spoil theirs rotten.

He was to be named Godfather. Taura was invited to be Godmother, but she declined, much to Lily's surprise. She didn't explain why until after Christmas, and then it was only to say that if something happened, she didn't think she could raise a child- even with Sirius Black helping. Lily wasn't too happy with her for it, but there was nothing she could do.

The new year began with a major snowstorm, and then school resumed and Lily returned to work. James informed her that he would have to go on assignment sometime soon, and for a full week, he wouldn't be able to contact her.

And so, when an owl flew into her classroom right in the middle of a lesson on the basics of electricity, Lily knew who it was from and stepped out of the classroom to open it.

_Lily_, it read.

_I'm leaving today for that thing I told you about. I will talk to you in a week.  
For better or for worse, know that I love you. I will see you in a week, and we'll get to work on planning James Jr.'s bedroom.  
All my love, James_

She felt a shiver go through her as she refolded the letter and stuffed it in her pocket, trying hard not to cry. She stayed in the hall for a few moments longer to compose herself, and then returned to the classroom, any interest in teaching her students lost, but forced to do so anyway.

After they left, she went down to the Great Hall and quietly told Dumbledore that she would be staying in the castle for the week that James was gone.

Since James had been sent away partially on Order business, Dumbledore was not surprised, and assured her that as soon as word reached him of how James was doing, he would tell her.

In one sense, Lily was relieved Dumbledore didn't offer her false assurance that James would be safe.

In another, she knew that meant the danger was great- and James was very much at risk.

Lily walked slowly down the halls on her way to her classroom again.

Sybil was on her way down the stairs.

For a moment, their eyes met.

"Syb," Lily said quietly.

Sybil looked away, her expression hardening, and swept away, ignoring Lily's call of her name.

Lily returned to her room and felt very alone.

"Won't you join us for the end of the year feast?" Dumbledore asked.

James and Lily, on their way out of the school, exchanged looks. "It's up to you," Lily said.

A short while later, they were seated at the end of the table. James had been waylaid on his way in by students who remembered him from the previous year. He was startled to find that some of them wanted him back.

Then again, he thought with amusement, looking at the dull looking woman who was the current Defense teacher, he couldn't really blame them for that, could he?

Supper was almost over when Lily's grip on James's arm tightened noticeably. He followed her gaze and saw her watching Sybil, who had suddenly jerked her head up straight, and was staring at nothing, the oddest expression on her face.

Dumbledore turned away from his conversation, also looking at her, and the whole staff table was alerted to the oddity as heads began to turn.

"The one born with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. . . . Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies . . . and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not . . . and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. . . . The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies. . . ."

And then, anti-climactically, she went back to normal. Suspicion clouded her face. "What do you want?" she demanded cantankerously.

Lily was as white as a ghost, and James found himself holding her hand tightly, the words echoing in his mind.

The healers had laughed. "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. You'll have your first child at the end of the seventh month," they'd said.

As it died.

Lily started to get up, but James held her back. "Lily, wait," he murmured.

It was not entirely well known outside of their friends that Lily was due at the end of July, and immediately after this, he didn't want anyone to make connections, if it could be helped.

Dumbledore pulled Sybil aside and McGonagall took his place at the podium.

Students had heard bits of it and were staring up with awe and interest and frightened fascination.

The staff was mostly silent as they waited, impatiently, for dinner to conclude.

As soon as it had, James pulled Lily into a side room and explained why he hadn't wanted her to get up. She nodded, looking upset and worried, and they rejoined the staff, who were gathering in the staff room after the students had returned to their classrooms for the last time, assuming Dumbledore would have orders for them.

Sybil did not attend.

Dumbledore was distracted and ran a quick meeting, then dismissed them, saying only that there was nothing that could be done about it and that they should not bother Sybil about it.

Then it was over.

The next morning, the staff escorted the students down to the station.

James, having stayed in Lily's room over night, walked with them.

But even with him and most of the staff there, when the Death Eaters arrived, they were overwhelmed.

When the dust settled, the students were terrified and crying and hiding, and there were two professors and three residents of Hogsmeade dead, and over twenty wounded witches, wizards, and children.

Lily wiped sweat and tears from her eyes as she glanced again at Corwin Falkner, the Ancient Runes professor who had been struck by the killing curse.

The Aurors were there in full force, but she found James easily enough. The relief on his face when he saw her was obvious, and for a few moments, they spoke only to each other, assuring themselves that they were both all right, and the baby was as well.

Then the Aurors asked them to help gather up the students.

It was still another hour before Lily realized that Sybil Trelawney was missing.

Thank you all, again, for reading. I hope you've enjoyed this so far and are not going to kill me for taking, oh, seven months between updates. It may be way more than that before the next one, I don't really know. Why the space between updates? Mostly because I've lost a lot of interest in HP. Not that I love the books any less, but I've found myself reading other things too. Currently, I'm stuck in Star Wars and, of all things, The Princess Diaries, which are surprisingly excellent. That's probably the biggest reason for the delay, but also because I'm kind of more than sick of this story, and because school is extremely demanding lately.

In other news- a few people have asked me to look over some of their stories and check them out. I'm really sorry, but I'm not even reading my friends' stories in the HP verse, much less stories by people who are only reviewing to say "reed mi stuf 2". Permit me a bit of ego here when I say that when I get a review for my story, it's a major downer when all they have to say is that 'ur stori iz gr8. reed myne.' And perhaps it's because of that downer that I feel that I won't even read look at their stories. Sorry for being like that, but it's just something that really bothers me. But right now, it's mostly because of that whole I'm-not-really-into-HP right now thing, so don't feel too bad.

Oh yeah! Guess what! I read another fic in which Sybil is Lily's best friend! It wasn't on this site, but I'm kind of excited because it's an odd enough idea that I'm hopeful that I was the influence. :o) Yay!

Reader Responses  
**KLLRS, ffaddix, Kelso, vamperfly, lightyearsaway**- Thanks!  
**Hollow Nightmare**- Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to share your opinion- I really appreciate it. :o) Thanks!  
**laeli**- Right here! And only a month and a half since you reviewed it. :o)  
**MischeviousAngel**- Glad you're enjoying. lol. Thanks for reading.  
**shelly**- This story is PRE- OotP, meaning that it was started before OotP and therefore there are a lot of things that aren't canon, including Narcissa's last name.  
**Winky27**- Thanks for writing and sharing. I'm glad you don't think it's too fast. lol.   
**Opals of Automn/Got Harry?**- Aww, I liked "Got Harry?" It was cute! sigh, but I understand... As always, thank you so much for reviewing. You're one of those reviewers that I adore having. :o) To be honest, as I've said, I haven't read any HP fiction in a while, but I have a hard time believing that someone who is so thoughtful and speaks so well in their reviews could have a fic that's anything less than wonderful. It's your story, you know how it will play out (maybe) and make your decisions based on what you feel is appropriate. And have confidence!!! (I have absolutely no confidence, btw, so don't be fooled.) :o)  
**Coffee Shopper**- Ooh, coffee. :o) I'm so glad you're enjoying this. And I'm honored that it's one of the best you've read. (But you must not have read very many at that time, eh? :o)  
**Grimm Sister**- Thanks for the help. :o) And of course, thanks for reading.  
**Lamina Court**- Another of my favorite reviewers. :o) Wow. You're the second person whose told me a story about a short engagement/dating and a long marriage... I'll keep that in mind for when I get hitched. :o) grin I'm not so big on long descriptions and stuff. I like to keep it short. I'd rather be telling than showing, to be honest, but I'm trying hard to find a compromise with the two. I'll keep that in mind though. Thanks. :o) (And I'll try for more Remus, but given the part he plays, it's unlikely. feels guilty Sorry!)  
**LJstagflower4e**- Thanks for reading and reviewing! So glad you're enjoying!  
**Tracey**- I updated! I think I e-mailed you a reply telling you I wasn't. Um... changed my mind?

As for next time.... I do have part of the next chapter written, but I make no promises about getting it out, or how long it will take. I'm working up the nerve to start posting Star Wars fanfic, and that's really got my attention right now. I hope I'll finish this up, but as always, no promises.

(Reminder to myself: Never post long fics until they're completely done, or you'll never finish it...)  



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